Duterte: 'I used to kill criminals to set an example for the police'

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he himself killed several criminals when he was mayor of Davao to set an example for the police.

At an event earlier this week, Mr. Duterte met with businessmen and discussed his controversial anti-drug campaign. After sharing about the police’s efforts, Mr. Duterte said he had conducted a similar campaign in Davao, where he was mayor for more than 20 years.

"In Davao, I personally did this many times (killing criminals). It was a way to show them that if I can do it, why can't they," AFP quoted President Duterte as saying.

Mr Duterte initiated a brutal crackdown on crime in Davao before expanding it nationwide when he became president. Photo: SCMP.

“Those years, I drove around Davao, patrolling the roads to see where there were problems. I really wanted to find fights so I could knock out a few guys,” Duterte said.

President Duterte also rejected criticism of his campaign by human rights groups and even US President Barack Obama. "If people think that I will stop the campaign because I am afraid of these groups or people like Obama, I will say that I never have that intention."

As of December 2016, nearly 6,000 people had been killed in the country’s brutal anti-drug campaign, many shot dead by vigilantes, some by rival gangs.

In addition to the deaths on the streets, more than 35,000 people have been arrested. Some 727,600 drug users and 56,500 suspected drug dealers have surrendered, causing prisons to become overcrowded.

To save the Philippines from the risk of becoming a "drug country", after taking office on June 30, President Duterte initiated a war on drugs. He ordered the police and called on civilians to join hands to destroy those who trafficked and used the "white substance".

The campaign has been strongly condemned by the European Union (EU), the United Nations, the Obama administration and many other international politicians. The US President warned the Philippines that extrajudicial killings are a violation of human rights.

According to Zing