“Fighting fire with fire won’t work. The Philippines must reverse course immediately and choose evidence-based policies that put people first, reduce harm and put an end to these atrocities,” Branson
As a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Branson said Duterte must “Immediately end the incitements to kill people suspected of using or dealing drugs.”
Duterte must also fulfill the country’s obligations under international human rights agreements and drop his plan to reinstate the death penalty.
Of the total number, 525 were killed during police operations, 249 were gunned down by unidentified assailants, while 78 were found dead in apparent vigilante killings. This translates to 10 drug-related fatalities per day.
Citing “friends familiar with the situation on the ground,” Branson said watch lists of drug suspects “have fueled the ambitions of trigger-happy gunmen to do as they please.”
“And more people are being killed because the actual drug lords are fighting back and killing people who they think would be whistleblowers. It’s a situation that has spun completely out of control,” he said.
Branson said the number of suspects who surrendered, 114,000 was “staggering” and would worsen conditions in the country’s clogged prison system.