Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte on his 5th day of office. Photo: The Daily Caller
President 'Duterte Harry' Of The Philippines KILLS 30 Drug Dealers In First 5 Days In Office
During his campaign, the new president of the Philippines promised that fighting drugs would be bloody and dirty. After less than a week in office, President Rodrigo Duterte has already killed 30 drug dealers, sacked three police officials, and accused two other retired cops of corruption.
"Duterte Harry," as he has been called in the Filipino press, accused the 5 cops of protecting drug syndicates from within the police force. Their crimes were tantamount to treason, Duterte said in a speech Monday.
Police also say they've killed 30 suspected drug dealers since Duterte took office last Thursday. More than 100 alleged criminals have been killed since Duterte won the election May 9.
Five drug dealers were killed over the weekend in a raid of a methamphetamine ring not far from the presidential palace in Manila.
Widely penned as the "Trump of the Philippines," Duterte is also called "The Punisher" for his tough talk during the presidential campaign this spring. He has not backed down from his harsh rhetoric but he understands that his stance on crime strikes many as extreme.
"I know there are those who do not agree with my methods of fighting criminality," Duterte said in his inaugural address."I know that there are those who do not approve of my methods of fighting criminality, the sale and use of illegal drugs and corruption. In response let me say this: I have seen how corruption bled the government of funds. I have seen how illegal drugs destroy individuals and ruin families' relationships," Duterte said.
Duterte, "the Dark Knight of Davao," promised to wipe out drug crime within six months, even if he has to kill criminals and fatten the fishes of Manila bay with their bodies.
Hundreds of drug users from across the Philippines have surrendered to police for rehabilitation, according to the Philippine Star.
Philippine Police Seize $19 Million Worth of Drugs
180 KG (400 Lbs) Drugs Worth ₱900 Million Peso / $19 Million USD seized in Northern Philippines easy access from Taiwan and China. Photo: Philstar
Philippine police have seized about 180 kilograms (400 pounds) of high-grade methamphetamine worth 900 million pesos ($19.2 million), officials said Monday, in a major haul for the government of new President Rodrigo Duterte, who has promised to wipe out crime and corruption within six months.
National Police chief Ronald dela Rosa said police and drug enforcement agents seized the methamphetamine hydrochloride, known locally as shabu, in 180 plastic bags on Sunday in an abandoned farm in northern Cagayan province's Claveria town following a tip from an informant.
Authorities are investigating whether it was smuggled into the Philippines by a foreign syndicate or was manufactured locally, officials said.
"We know that there in the north, in the Cagayan area, which is the nearest point going to China and Taiwan, the shabu coming from abroad is docked there," dela Rosa said.
He also said more than 100 armed drug dealers have been killed in gunbattles with police since last month and thousands of drug users have surrendered to authorities during the intensified anti-drug campaign. The drug users will undergo mandatory drug treatment.
Nine policemen from different regional offices who tested positive for illegal drugs in mandatory tests last Friday will face criminal and administrative charges, he added. – The Daily Caller / ABC News
