Philippine President underlines military role in anti-drug campaign

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Photo: EPA/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced on February 2 that the military will take a leading role in his war on drugs, while vowing to kill more traffickers and addicts.

“I’m taking in the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and raising the issue of drugs as a national security threat so that I will call on all the armed forces to assist,” Duterte said.

His comments came after Amnesty International criticised the Philippine police for conducting a violent anti-drug campaign, in which more than 6,500 people died in seven months.

Cracking down on crime is one of Duterte’s priorities, with drug crimes a key focus since he took office last year.
                                  
Philippine police have reported killing 2,555 people in the drug war, while nearly 4,000 others have died in unexplained circumstances, according to official figures.-VNA

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