The Philippine president Rodrigo&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;has ordered the military and police units to airlift COVID-19 vaccines throughout the country's provinces in order to bypass "gridlocks" in jab distribution.

Only about 35 per cent of adults in the country have received both jabs, compared with nearly 90 per cent of adults in the capital region.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-eases-virus-lockdown-in-capital-to-spur-economy-despite-who-warning-413072">Philippines eases virus lockdown in capital to spur economy despite WHO warning</a>

The Philippine president blames these&nbsp;"gridlocks" on the&nbsp;local authorities.

During his meeting with pandemic advisers on Tuesday, Duterte said, "(Supplies) will no longer pass through the provincial government because that would be another gridlock."

Duterte has relied heavily on armed services to help combat the pandemic. Armed forces in the Philippines enforced one of the world's toughest lockdowns and transported medical supplies all over the country and abroad.&nbsp;

"Upon delivery by plane and arrival at the (vaccine operations centre), the helicopters there will take over. They would be the ones to take them to the municipal governments," the president said.

"The armed forces have the lift capability," military spokesman Colonel Ramon Zagala said on Wednesday.

According to Francisco Duque, the country's health secretary, cases of Coronavirus are on the decline throughout the country.

Watch |&nbsp;Philippines president threatens to jail those who refuse COVID-19 vaccine

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/philippines-president-threatens-to-jail-those-who-refuse-covid-19-vaccine-393163/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In October, as part of easing pandemic restrictions, the government opened cinemas and gyms in the capital and allowed larger seating capacities in restaurants and on public transportation.

12.7 million young people between the ages of 12-17 received vaccines on Wednesday.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military and police units to airlift COVID-19 vaccines throughout the country's provinces in order to bypass "gridlocks" in jab distribution.

The Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the military and police units to airlift COVID-19 vaccines throughout the country's provinces in order to bypass "gridlocks" in jab distribution. Only about 35 per cent of adults in the country have received both jabs, compared with nearly 90 per cent of adults in the capital region. Also read | Philippines eases virus lockdown in capital to spur economy despite WHO warning The Philippine president blames these "gridlocks" on the local authorities. During his meeting with pandemic advisers on Tuesday, Duterte said, "(Supplies) will no longer pass through the provincial government because that would be another gridlock." Duterte has relied heavily on armed services to help combat the pandemic. Armed forces in the Philippines enforced one of the world's toughest lockdowns and transported medical supplies all over the country and abroad. "Upon delivery by plane and arrival at the (vaccine operations centre), the helicopters there will take over. They would be the ones to take them to the municipal governments," the president said. "The armed forces have the lift capability," military spokesman Colonel Ramon Zagala said on Wednesday. According to Francisco Duque, the country's health secretary, cases of Coronavirus are on the decline throughout the country. Watch | Philippines president threatens to jail those who refuse COVID-19 vaccine In October, as part of easing pandemic restrictions, the government opened cinemas and gyms in the capital and allowed larger seating capacities in restaurants and on public transportation. 12.7 million young people between the ages of 12-17 received vaccines on Wednesday. (With inputs from agencies)

Philippines president orders military to bypass 'gridlocks' in vaccine distribution

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte publicly ordered the country's top customs official to shoot and kill drug smugglers in one of his most overt threats during a deadly four-year campaign that has been the centerpiece of his presidency.

Duterte has steadfastly denied authorising extrajudicial killings but has repeatedly and openly threatened drug dealers with death.

He and the national police, which has led enforcement of his anti-drug campaign, have said most of the suspects killed by police during the campaign fought back and threatened the lives of law enforcers.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-protesters-rally-against-dutertes-anti-terrorism-bill-305381">Philippines: Protesters rally against Duterte's anti-terrorism bill</a>

Duterte gave the order to Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero in televised remarks from a Cabinet meeting on the coronavirus pandemic Monday night.

Guerrero, a retired army general and former military chief of staff, was not around when Duterte spoke, but the president said he met Guerrero and two other officials earlier Monday at the presidential palace in Manila.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-philippines-president-duterte-is-playing-into-the-hands-of-xis-china-304890">How Philippines President Duterte is playing into the hands of Xi's China</a>

''Drug is still flowing inside the country through customs,''&nbsp;Duterte said, adding he has earlier approved Guerrero's request for firearms.

''I approved the purchase of firearms and until now you haven't killed even one.''

''I told him to shape up as drugs are&nbsp;still flowing in. I'd like you to kill there ... Anyway, I'll back you up and you won't get jailed. If it's drugs, you shoot and kill. That's the arrangement,''&nbsp;Duterte said without elaborating.

More than 5,700 mostly poor drug suspects have been killed under Duterte's anti-drug crackdown, which has alarmed human rights groups and Western governments and sparked an examination of alleged crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Duterte has vowed to continue the deadly crackdown in his remaining two years in power.

The human rights groups have said their investigations showed some suspects were killed mercilessly then police officers altered the scene and placed firearms in the victims' hands to make it appear that they fought back. Police have said the rights groups and critics should file criminal complaints in court if they have evidence against officers.

Duterte had placed the corruption-plagued customs bureau temporarily under military control in 2018 after two large shipments of illegal drugs slipped past the agency through the port of Manila.

A congressional investigation into how the large shipments of suspected methamphetamine slipped through the tightly watched port ended with recommendations of charges against some customs officials and internal reforms in the customs bureau.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte publicly ordered the country's top customs official to shoot and kill drug smugglers in one of his most overt threats during a deadly four-year campaign that has been the centerpiece of his presidency.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte publicly ordered the country's top customs official to shoot and kill drug smugglers in one of his most overt threats during a deadly four-year campaign that has been the centerpiece of his presidency. Duterte has steadfastly denied authorising extrajudicial killings but has repeatedly and openly threatened drug dealers with death. He and the national police, which has led enforcement of his anti-drug campaign, have said most of the suspects killed by police during the campaign fought back and threatened the lives of law enforcers. Also read: Philippines: Protesters rally against Duterte's anti-terrorism bill Duterte gave the order to Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero in televised remarks from a Cabinet meeting on the coronavirus pandemic Monday night. Guerrero, a retired army general and former military chief of staff, was not around when Duterte spoke, but the president said he met Guerrero and two other officials earlier Monday at the presidential palace in Manila. Also read: How Philippines President Duterte is playing into the hands of Xi's China ''Drug is still flowing inside the country through customs,'' Duterte said, adding he has earlier approved Guerrero's request for firearms. ''I approved the purchase of firearms and until now you haven't killed even one.'' ''I told him to shape up as drugs are still flowing in. I'd like you to kill there ... Anyway, I'll back you up and you won't get jailed. If it's drugs, you shoot and kill. That's the arrangement,'' Duterte said without elaborating. More than 5,700 mostly poor drug suspects have been killed under Duterte's anti-drug crackdown, which has alarmed human rights groups and Western governments and sparked an examination of alleged crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court. Duterte has vowed to continue the deadly crackdown in his remaining two years in power. The human rights groups have said their investigations showed some suspects were killed mercilessly then police officers altered the scene and placed firearms in the victims' hands to make it appear that they fought back. Police have said the rights groups and critics should file criminal complaints in court if they have evidence against officers. Duterte had placed the corruption-plagued customs bureau temporarily under military control in 2018 after two large shipments of illegal drugs slipped past the agency through the port of Manila. A congressional investigation into how the large shipments of suspected methamphetamine slipped through the tightly watched port ended with recommendations of charges against some customs officials and internal reforms in the customs bureau.

Philippine's Duterte orders customs chief to 'shoot and kill' drug smugglers

In a defiant speech, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that he stabbed a person to death at the age of 16 and hinted at more to come &quot;now that I am president.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;When I was a teenager, I would go in and out of jail. I&#39;d have rumbles here, rumbles there,&quot; said Duterte, who is in the Vietnamese city Danang for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

&quot;At the age of 16, I already killed someone. A real person, a rumble, a stabbing. I was just 16 years old. It was just over a look. How much more now that I am president?&quot; he told a local Filipino community in Danang.

The firebrand leader, 72, also threatened to slap a UN rights rapporteur if he met her and used obscene language to hit back at critics of his crackdown on drugs that has killed 100,000 people, AFP reported.

Duterte&#39;s defiant speech to promote his drug war comes ahead of him hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit of world leaders in Manila.

The firebrand leader consistently generates headlines for his abusive language and comments defending the drug war.&nbsp;

He remains popular with many Filipinos who believe he is making society safer.&nbsp;

Duterte won last year&#39;s presidential elections after promising to eradicate illegal drugs with an unprecedented crackdown that would see up to 100,000 people killed.

Critics at home and abroad warn that he is orchestrating a campaign of extrajudicial mass murder, carried out by corrupt police and hired vigilantes.

Duterte denies the allegations.

Duterte said last year he would be &quot;happy to slaughter&quot; three million drug addicts and branded then US president Barack Obama a &quot;son of a whore&quot; for criticising the drug war. 
 
(With inputs from AFP)

The firebrand leader, 72, also threatened to slap a UN rights rapporteur if he met her and used obscene language to hit back at critics of his crackdown on drugs

In a defiant speech, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that he stabbed a person to death at the age of 16 and hinted at more to come "now that I am president." "When I was a teenager, I would go in and out of jail. I'd have rumbles here, rumbles there," said Duterte, who is in the Vietnamese city Danang for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. "At the age of 16, I already killed someone. A real person, a rumble, a stabbing. I was just 16 years old. It was just over a look. How much more now that I am president?" he told a local Filipino community in Danang. The firebrand leader, 72, also threatened to slap a UN rights rapporteur if he met her and used obscene language to hit back at critics of his crackdown on drugs that has killed 100,000 people, AFP reported. Duterte's defiant speech to promote his drug war comes ahead of him hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit of world leaders in Manila. The firebrand leader consistently generates headlines for his abusive language and comments defending the drug war. He remains popular with many Filipinos who believe he is making society safer. Duterte won last year's presidential elections after promising to eradicate illegal drugs with an unprecedented crackdown that would see up to 100,000 people killed. Critics at home and abroad warn that he is orchestrating a campaign of extrajudicial mass murder, carried out by corrupt police and hired vigilantes. Duterte denies the allegations. Duterte said last year he would be "happy to slaughter" three million drug addicts and branded then US president Barack Obama a "son of a whore" for criticising the drug war. (With inputs from AFP)

Philippine's Duterte says he killed someone at age 16

The Philippine police have received cash payments for executing drug suspects, planted evidence at crime scenes and carried out most of the killings they have long blamed on vigilantes, said two senior officers who are critical of President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s &quot;war on drugs&quot;.

In the most detailed insider accounts yet of the drug war&#39;s secret mechanics, the two senior officials challenged the government&#39;s explanations of the killings in interviews with Reuters.

Almost 9,000 people, many small-time users&nbsp;and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30. Police say about a third of the victims were shot by officers in self-defence during legitimate anti-drug operations. Human rights monitors believe many of the remaining two-thirds were killed by paid assassins operating with police backing or by police disguised as vigilantes - a charge the police deny.

The two senior officers, one a retired police intelligence officer and the other an active-duty commander, claimed the killings are in fact orchestrated by the police, including most of those carried out by vigilantes. They spoke with Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

&quot;It is the Philippine National Police doing it,&quot; said the retired intelligence officer. &quot;This killing machine must be buried six feet under the ground.&quot; He said he was angry about the impact of the killings on police discipline and wanted &quot;to put Duterte on the defensive.&quot; Reuters was unable to independently verify if the police are behind vigilante killings.

The president&#39;s office and the Philippine police did not respond to questions from Reuters.

&#39;Only the poor are dying&#39;

The intelligence officer has authored an unpublished 26-page report on the conduct of the drug war in an effort to organize opposition to Duterte&#39;s campaign. The report, titled &quot;The State-Sponsored Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines,&quot; provides granular detail on the campaign&#39;s alleged methods, masterminds and perpetrators. The document has been shared with leaders of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and with the government-funded Commission on Human Rights.

Some of the report&#39;s accusations against individuals could not be confirmed by Reuters; the news agency is therefore not publishing the full document. Many of its findings, however, support and expand upon previous investigations of the drug war by Reuters and independent human rights monitors. (To view the cover page of the report, click on the link: http://tmsnrt.rs/2o8U73N)

The report claims that police are paid to kill not just drug suspects, but also - for 10,000 pesos ($200) a head - rapists, pickpockets, swindlers, gang members, alcoholics and other &quot;troublemakers&quot;.

It also claims that civilian members of the so-called Davao Death Squad, which rights activists allege killed hundreds of people in Duterte&#39;s hometown of Davao, were drafted to &quot;augment and assist&quot; the police&#39;s current nationwide anti-drug operation.

The report doesn&#39;t provide documentary evidence for its accusations, which the intelligence officer said were based on accounts from 17 serving or former policemen, including the commander Reuters interviewed. The police commander said he agreed to talk because he was upset that authorities are targeting only petty drug suspects. &quot;Why aren&#39;t they killing the suppliers?&quot; he asked. &quot;Only the poor are dying.&quot;

The second half of the report is largely political in nature, asserting that Duterte has close ties to Communist forces in the Philippines. Many in the military and police are concerned by what they see as Duterte&#39;s leftist sympathies. Since taking office, the president has released Communist rebels from prison to restart peace talks.

The report also calls the drug war a &quot;social cleansing&quot; campaign similar to that launched in Mao Zedong&#39;s China, with Duterte aiming to have drug addicts &quot;physically eliminated.&quot;

New leads

The Commission on Human Rights has reviewed the report and the accounts could open up new leads in ongoing investigations, said chairman Chito Gascon. Church officials confirmed receiving the report as well.

&quot;We should do all we can to follow any lead that could ultimately shed light on these killings with the view to ultimately holding the perpetrators to account,&quot; said Gascon.

The fresh claims come amid growing criticism of the drug war. In February, the country&#39;s influential Catholic Church called it a &quot;reign of terror.&quot; The campaign has also sparked street protests and lawsuits.

Duterte&#39;s police chief, Ronald Dela Rosa, halted police operations for most of February after it emerged that an anti-drug unit had kidnapped and murdered a South Korean businessman last year. The killings continued but at a slower pace. On March 6, Dela Rosa announced that the police were resuming their drug operations.

In March, a former policeman, Arturo Lascanas, testified in the Philippine Senate about his role in vigilante-style killings in the southern city of Davao, where Duterte was once mayor. Lascanas was the second Senate witness to link Duterte to the Davao Death Squad. Duterte denies ordering any killings, either as president or mayor.

In a subsequent interview, Lascanas told Reuters that for over a decade he was paid for carrying out the liquidation of drug suspects and criminals. In the early 1990s, he said, he was paid 3,000 to 5,000 pesos ($60-$100) for each of the &quot;jobs&quot; he performed. By the early 2000s he was earning tens of thousands of pesos for each operation, he said. Lascanas said he had no documentary proof of the payments. He has since left the country.

Unplugging cameras

In the past nine months, police acknowledge having shot dead more than 2,600 suspects during their operations. They say such shootings occur after suspects open fire on undercover officers trying to catch them dealing drugs.

But these so-called &quot;buy-busts&quot; are actually well-planned executions, said the commander interviewed by Reuters. The commander said targets are chosen from lists of suspects drawn up by police and local officials, who later coordinate to unplug security cameras in the neighbourhood where a killing is planned. According to the report, street lamps are also switched off.

&quot;There is no such thing as a legitimate buy-bust,&quot; the commander said. &quot;The dealers know the cops and won&#39;t sell to them.&quot;

Instead, he said, a team of police operatives will execute the target, who is almost always unarmed, then plant guns and drugs at the crime scene to justify the use of deadly force.

&quot;We have to plant evidence for the legality of the operation,&quot; the commander said. &quot;We are ordered to do these operations, so we have to protect ourselves.&quot;

The commander said officers put the gun in the dead suspect&#39;s hand and pull the trigger with the victim&#39;s finger so forensic testing will show that the suspect fired a gun.

Late last year, he said, police crime-scene investigators told their fellow officers to place the guns at a slight distance from the suspects, rather than in their hands, to make things look more realistic.

Most drug suspects in his precinct are shot by rookie cops who are either eager for the experience or nominated by their superiors, the commander said. The superiors refer to this as a &quot;baptism by fire.&quot;

Each member of the team is quickly paid according to two factors, said the commander: his role in the killing and the target&#39;s value.

Cash rewards

According to the report, the cash &quot;reward scales&quot; for drug killings range from 20,000 pesos ($400) for a &quot;street level pusher and user,&quot; to 50,000 pesos for a member of a neighborhood council, one million pesos for &quot;distributors, retailers and wholesalers,&quot; and five million for &quot;drug lords.&quot;

Police officers kill for money, said the commander, but also out of fear: Even the police are afraid of being included on a &quot;watch list&quot; of drug suspects drawn up by police and local officials.

Officials have been killed for not cooperating, he added. He said he was aware of two cases but did not provide details on exactly what happened.

Reuters reported last year that the watch lists were effectively hit lists, with many of those named ending up dead. Another Reuters investigation showed that police officers were killing 97 percent of the suspects they confront in violent buy-bust operations, the strongest evidence yet that the police were summarily executing suspects.

Officers also cooperate because they know the police force&#39;s flawed disciplinary system, which fails to adequately investigate even a fraction of the killings, means there is little chance they will get caught, said the intelligence officer.

One sign of the drug war&#39;s success, says the government, is that more than a million users and pushers have voluntarily registered with the police, a process known as &quot;surrendering.&quot;

But the commander said police are given a quota of &quot;surrenderers,&quot; and fill it by using city ordinances to arrest men who are drunk or shirtless - a misdemeanor known as &quot;half-naked&quot; - then forcing them to register as drug suspects.

Reuters learned of the intelligence officer&#39;s 26-page report from him and interviewed two Catholic priests in Manila who said they had encouraged him to compile it. One of the priests said he edited the report; the other said he helped distribute it among a small group of clerics and human rights activists. Both are helping organize opposition to Duterte&#39;s drug campaign.

The Church&#39;s initial reluctance to criticize Duterte&#39;s drug war was prompted by a desire to &quot;give him a chance&quot; when he took office, said one of the priests. But the killings, along with the president&#39;s overtures to Communists, made many in the Church feel their values were under attack, he said.

The intelligence officer said he hoped the report would be used as evidence at the International Criminal Court. In October, the Hague-based tribunal said it could prosecute suspects if the killings were &quot;committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population.&quot;

(Reuters)

In the most detailed insider accounts yet, the officials challenged the government's explanation of the killings in interviews with Reuters

The Philippine police have received cash payments for executing drug suspects, planted evidence at crime scenes and carried out most of the killings they have long blamed on vigilantes, said two senior officers who are critical of President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs". In the most detailed insider accounts yet of the drug war's secret mechanics, the two senior officials challenged the government's explanations of the killings in interviews with Reuters. Almost 9,000 people, many small-time users and dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30. Police say about a third of the victims were shot by officers in self-defence during legitimate anti-drug operations. Human rights monitors believe many of the remaining two-thirds were killed by paid assassins operating with police backing or by police disguised as vigilantes - a charge the police deny. The two senior officers, one a retired police intelligence officer and the other an active-duty commander, claimed the killings are in fact orchestrated by the police, including most of those carried out by vigilantes. They spoke with Reuters on the condition of anonymity. "It is the Philippine National Police doing it," said the retired intelligence officer. "This killing machine must be buried six feet under the ground." He said he was angry about the impact of the killings on police discipline and wanted "to put Duterte on the defensive." Reuters was unable to independently verify if the police are behind vigilante killings. The president's office and the Philippine police did not respond to questions from Reuters. 'Only the poor are dying' The intelligence officer has authored an unpublished 26-page report on the conduct of the drug war in an effort to organize opposition to Duterte's campaign. The report, titled "The State-Sponsored Extrajudicial Killings in the Philippines," provides granular detail on the campaign's alleged methods, masterminds and perpetrators. The document has been shared with leaders of the Catholic Church in the Philippines and with the government-funded Commission on Human Rights. Some of the report's accusations against individuals could not be confirmed by Reuters; the news agency is therefore not publishing the full document. Many of its findings, however, support and expand upon previous investigations of the drug war by Reuters and independent human rights monitors. (To view the cover page of the report, click on the link: http://tmsnrt.rs/2o8U73N) The report claims that police are paid to kill not just drug suspects, but also - for 10,000 pesos ($200) a head - rapists, pickpockets, swindlers, gang members, alcoholics and other "troublemakers". It also claims that civilian members of the so-called Davao Death Squad, which rights activists allege killed hundreds of people in Duterte's hometown of Davao, were drafted to "augment and assist" the police's current nationwide anti-drug operation. The report doesn't provide documentary evidence for its accusations, which the intelligence officer said were based on accounts from 17 serving or former policemen, including the commander Reuters interviewed. The police commander said he agreed to talk because he was upset that authorities are targeting only petty drug suspects. "Why aren't they killing the suppliers?" he asked. "Only the poor are dying." The second half of the report is largely political in nature, asserting that Duterte has close ties to Communist forces in the Philippines. Many in the military and police are concerned by what they see as Duterte's leftist sympathies. Since taking office, the president has released Communist rebels from prison to restart peace talks. The report also calls the drug war a "social cleansing" campaign similar to that launched in Mao Zedong's China, with Duterte aiming to have drug addicts "physically eliminated." New leads The Commission on Human Rights has reviewed the report and the accounts could open up new leads in ongoing investigations, said chairman Chito Gascon. Church officials confirmed receiving the report as well. "We should do all we can to follow any lead that could ultimately shed light on these killings with the view to ultimately holding the perpetrators to account," said Gascon. The fresh claims come amid growing criticism of the drug war. In February, the country's influential Catholic Church called it a "reign of terror." The campaign has also sparked street protests and lawsuits. Duterte's police chief, Ronald Dela Rosa, halted police operations for most of February after it emerged that an anti-drug unit had kidnapped and murdered a South Korean businessman last year. The killings continued but at a slower pace. On March 6, Dela Rosa announced that the police were resuming their drug operations. In March, a former policeman, Arturo Lascanas, testified in the Philippine Senate about his role in vigilante-style killings in the southern city of Davao, where Duterte was once mayor. Lascanas was the second Senate witness to link Duterte to the Davao Death Squad. Duterte denies ordering any killings, either as president or mayor. In a subsequent interview, Lascanas told Reuters that for over a decade he was paid for carrying out the liquidation of drug suspects and criminals. In the early 1990s, he said, he was paid 3,000 to 5,000 pesos ($60-$100) for each of the "jobs" he performed. By the early 2000s he was earning tens of thousands of pesos for each operation, he said. Lascanas said he had no documentary proof of the payments. He has since left the country. Unplugging cameras In the past nine months, police acknowledge having shot dead more than 2,600 suspects during their operations. They say such shootings occur after suspects open fire on undercover officers trying to catch them dealing drugs. But these so-called "buy-busts" are actually well-planned executions, said the commander interviewed by Reuters. The commander said targets are chosen from lists of suspects drawn up by police and local officials, who later coordinate to unplug security cameras in the neighbourhood where a killing is planned. According to the report, street lamps are also switched off. "There is no such thing as a legitimate buy-bust," the commander said. "The dealers know the cops and won't sell to them." Instead, he said, a team of police operatives will execute the target, who is almost always unarmed, then plant guns and drugs at the crime scene to justify the use of deadly force. "We have to plant evidence for the legality of the operation," the commander said. "We are ordered to do these operations, so we have to protect ourselves." The commander said officers put the gun in the dead suspect's hand and pull the trigger with the victim's finger so forensic testing will show that the suspect fired a gun. Late last year, he said, police crime-scene investigators told their fellow officers to place the guns at a slight distance from the suspects, rather than in their hands, to make things look more realistic. Most drug suspects in his precinct are shot by rookie cops who are either eager for the experience or nominated by their superiors, the commander said. The superiors refer to this as a "baptism by fire." Each member of the team is quickly paid according to two factors, said the commander: his role in the killing and the target's value. Cash rewards According to the report, the cash "reward scales" for drug killings range from 20,000 pesos ($400) for a "street level pusher and user," to 50,000 pesos for a member of a neighborhood council, one million pesos for "distributors, retailers and wholesalers," and five million for "drug lords." Police officers kill for money, said the commander, but also out of fear: Even the police are afraid of being included on a "watch list" of drug suspects drawn up by police and local officials. Officials have been killed for not cooperating, he added. He said he was aware of two cases but did not provide details on exactly what happened. Reuters reported last year that the watch lists were effectively hit lists, with many of those named ending up dead. Another Reuters investigation showed that police officers were killing 97 percent of the suspects they confront in violent buy-bust operations, the strongest evidence yet that the police were summarily executing suspects. Officers also cooperate because they know the police force's flawed disciplinary system, which fails to adequately investigate even a fraction of the killings, means there is little chance they will get caught, said the intelligence officer. One sign of the drug war's success, says the government, is that more than a million users and pushers have voluntarily registered with the police, a process known as "surrendering." But the commander said police are given a quota of "surrenderers," and fill it by using city ordinances to arrest men who are drunk or shirtless - a misdemeanor known as "half-naked" - then forcing them to register as drug suspects. Reuters learned of the intelligence officer's 26-page report from him and interviewed two Catholic priests in Manila who said they had encouraged him to compile it. One of the priests said he edited the report; the other said he helped distribute it among a small group of clerics and human rights activists. Both are helping organize opposition to Duterte's drug campaign. The Church's initial reluctance to criticize Duterte's drug war was prompted by a desire to "give him a chance" when he took office, said one of the priests. But the killings, along with the president's overtures to Communists, made many in the Church feel their values were under attack, he said. The intelligence officer said he hoped the report would be used as evidence at the International Criminal Court. In October, the Hague-based tribunal said it could prosecute suspects if the killings were "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population." (Reuters)

Police describe kill rewards, staged crime scenes in Duterte's 'war on drugs'

A United Nations human rights investigator says there are signs of mounting opposition within the Philippines to President Rodrigo Duterte&#39;s war on drugs, with police operations on hold and the Church getting critical of the campaign.

Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, however, said the thousands of killings in the campaign had given rise to a sense of impunity, which could lead to increased lawlessness and violence.&nbsp;

More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30 last year, about a third of them in police operations. Callamard said she knew of only four court cases seeking justice for the victims.

&quot;The difference between the number of reported killings and the number of court cases is unbelievable,&quot; she told Reuters in Bangkok. &quot;It&#39;s very unusual for that degree of impunity to remain restricted to one kind of crime or one type of community.&quot;

Spokesmen for Duterte could not immediately be reached for comment.

The war on drugs has been a signature policy of Duterte, who remains popular in opinion polls.&nbsp;

But Callamard, a human rights expert from France who took up the UN post in August, said opposition to the drug war was increasing and had reached a &quot;tipping point&quot;.

&quot;There is an increasing awareness on the part of the Filipino people that the war on drugs could hurt them,&quot; she said. &quot;The surveys that are being done indicate support for the president...but critique the war on drugs.&quot;

One of the Philippines&#39; top polling agencies, Social Weather Stations, said after a survey of 1,500 people in early December that most were satisfied with Duterte&#39;s rule. But 78 per cent said they were worried that they or someone they knew would be a victim of an extra-judicial killing.

In a series of reports last year, Reuters showed that the police had a 97 per cent kill rate in their drug operations, the strongest proof yet that police were summarily shooting drug suspects.

Both the government and police have strenuously denied that extra-judicial killings have taken place.&nbsp;

The Church in the Philippines, Asia&#39;s largest Catholic nation, had been a muted critic of the campaign but slammed it earlier this month for creating a &quot;reign of terror&quot; among the poor.

The bloodshed had also generated growing unease and criticism from Philippine civil society groups and media, Callamard said.

Her remarks come as Duterte and his police chief Ronald Dela Rosa face intense criticism for the October kidnap and killing of a South Korean businessmen by anti-narcotics officers inside national police headquarters.

He was arrested for drug offences that his wife said was an official cover for kidnap for ransom.

The case, which came to light in January, prompted Dela Rosa to announce the suspension of anti-drug operations to purge the police force of what he termed &quot;rogue cops.&quot; Duterte has however vowed to maintain his anti-drugs campaign until his term ends in 2022.

Callamard said real opposition to the drugs war would come from within the Philippines rather than international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In October, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda warned the Hague-based tribunal could prosecute if the killings were &quot;committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population&quot;.

Duterte has threatened to withdraw from the ICC, calling it &quot;useless&quot;, and said in a November speech: &quot;You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullshit.&quot;

(Reuters)

More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30 last year

A United Nations human rights investigator says there are signs of mounting opposition within the Philippines to President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, with police operations on hold and the Church getting critical of the campaign. Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, however, said the thousands of killings in the campaign had given rise to a sense of impunity, which could lead to increased lawlessness and violence. More than 7,600 people, mostly drug users and small-time dealers, have been killed since Duterte took office on June 30 last year, about a third of them in police operations. Callamard said she knew of only four court cases seeking justice for the victims. "The difference between the number of reported killings and the number of court cases is unbelievable," she told Reuters in Bangkok. "It's very unusual for that degree of impunity to remain restricted to one kind of crime or one type of community." Spokesmen for Duterte could not immediately be reached for comment. The war on drugs has been a signature policy of Duterte, who remains popular in opinion polls. But Callamard, a human rights expert from France who took up the UN post in August, said opposition to the drug war was increasing and had reached a "tipping point". "There is an increasing awareness on the part of the Filipino people that the war on drugs could hurt them," she said. "The surveys that are being done indicate support for the president...but critique the war on drugs." One of the Philippines' top polling agencies, Social Weather Stations, said after a survey of 1,500 people in early December that most were satisfied with Duterte's rule. But 78 per cent said they were worried that they or someone they knew would be a victim of an extra-judicial killing. In a series of reports last year, Reuters showed that the police had a 97 per cent kill rate in their drug operations, the strongest proof yet that police were summarily shooting drug suspects. Both the government and police have strenuously denied that extra-judicial killings have taken place. The Church in the Philippines, Asia's largest Catholic nation, had been a muted critic of the campaign but slammed it earlier this month for creating a "reign of terror" among the poor. The bloodshed had also generated growing unease and criticism from Philippine civil society groups and media, Callamard said. Her remarks come as Duterte and his police chief Ronald Dela Rosa face intense criticism for the October kidnap and killing of a South Korean businessmen by anti-narcotics officers inside national police headquarters. He was arrested for drug offences that his wife said was an official cover for kidnap for ransom. The case, which came to light in January, prompted Dela Rosa to announce the suspension of anti-drug operations to purge the police force of what he termed "rogue cops." Duterte has however vowed to maintain his anti-drugs campaign until his term ends in 2022. Callamard said real opposition to the drugs war would come from within the Philippines rather than international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC). In October, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda warned the Hague-based tribunal could prosecute if the killings were "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population". Duterte has threatened to withdraw from the ICC, calling it "useless", and said in a November speech: "You scare me that you will jail me? International Criminal Court? Bullshit." (Reuters)

Opposition against President Duterte's war on drugs mounting: UN investigator

A mayor in Philippines was killed along with his nine guards after they opened fire at a checkpoint in President Duterte&#39;s home province of Mindanao.&nbsp;

Samsudin Dimaukom, a powerful mayor of Datu Saudi Ampatuan was suspected to have drug links and according to the police, they tried to stop the two vehicles but the mayor&#39;s side fired at them.&nbsp;

Bernard Tayong of the North Cotabato police said &quot;It was a legitimate police operation,&quot; and that no police personnel were injured in the firing.&nbsp;

&quot;We have information the mayor and his men were transporting drugs so we tried to intercept them but they chose to shoot it out,&quot; he told reporters.

The police recovered seven guns, including an Armalite rifle and 13 small packs of suspected methamphetamines from the vehicles.&nbsp;

The latest casualties come after the Philippines police changed their strategy by focusing on government officials, lawmakers, celebrities and other high-ranking police and army personnel who are involved in drugs.&nbsp;

The new tactic is called &quot;Project Double Barrel Alpha&quot; and according to Reuters, it aims to reduce killings and arrest more drug dealers.

More than 2000 people have been killed in Duterte&#39;s war on drugs since he took office on June 30.&nbsp;

National police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said that the overreach of drugs have gone beyond poor areas and now are present in wealthier neighbourhoods.&nbsp;

At least 150,000 policemen have been tested and 164 gave positive results and would be dismissed, he added.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

A clash was reported near a police checkpoint in Mindanao, Duterte's home province, when the mayor and his nine guards opened fire

A mayor in Philippines was killed along with his nine guards after they opened fire at a checkpoint in President Duterte's home province of Mindanao. Samsudin Dimaukom, a powerful mayor of Datu Saudi Ampatuan was suspected to have drug links and according to the police, they tried to stop the two vehicles but the mayor's side fired at them. Bernard Tayong of the North Cotabato police said "It was a legitimate police operation," and that no police personnel were injured in the firing. "We have information the mayor and his men were transporting drugs so we tried to intercept them but they chose to shoot it out," he told reporters. The police recovered seven guns, including an Armalite rifle and 13 small packs of suspected methamphetamines from the vehicles. The latest casualties come after the Philippines police changed their strategy by focusing on government officials, lawmakers, celebrities and other high-ranking police and army personnel who are involved in drugs. The new tactic is called "Project Double Barrel Alpha" and according to Reuters, it aims to reduce killings and arrest more drug dealers. More than 2000 people have been killed in Duterte's war on drugs since he took office on June 30. National police spokesman Dionardo Carlos said that the overreach of drugs have gone beyond poor areas and now are present in wealthier neighbourhoods. At least 150,000 policemen have been tested and 164 gave positive results and would be dismissed, he added. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Duterte's drug war: Powerful mayor killed along with nine others

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