The War on Drugs in the Philippines

The War on Drugs in the Philippines

THE foul-mouthed Philippines president who’s bragged about throwing criminals out of helicopters and gunning down drug offenders in the streets has a new target: children as young as nine, including his own son.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who has said he will “kill all” the country’s criminals, is among the backers of a bill that would lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to nine, the Washington Post reported.

Duterte reportedly said last April he would murder his own son if the boy ever used drugs.

“In my country, there is no law that says I cannot threaten criminals,” Duterte said in October.

“I do not care what the human rights guys say. I have a duty to preserve the generation. If it involves human rights, I don’t give a s***. I have to strike fear.”

Other children were in the cross hairs.

Last year, a four-year-old girl and a five-year-old girl were killed in separate operations seeking relatives with links to drugs. Duterte has called those deaths “collateral damage”.

A draft version of the bill that would lower the criminal age to nine states: “Most children above this age, especially in these times when all forms and manner of knowledge are available through the Internet and digital media, are already informed and should be taught that they are responsible for what they say and do.”

DUTERTE ADMITS TO USING POWERFUL OPIOID DRUG

The President has once again admitted to abusing a powerful opioid drug.

The controversial Philippines leader admitted recently that he used the pain relief drug fentanyl, saying it made him feel like he was on “cloud nine”.

For the past few months, the President has been plagued by questions over whether his use of the drug constitutes “addiction”, with ongoing calls for the leader to release his health records.

Mr Duterte, 71, has been dubbed “The Punisher” for his brutal crackdown on drug addicts and criminals in the Philippines.

Police have reported killing more than 2500 people they accused of being drug suspects, while nearly 4000 others have died in unexplained circumstances amid the crackdown.

Amid reports on his painkiller addiction, the leader has been called out on the irony of his drug crackdown.

IS THE PUNISHER ADDICTED TO PAINKILLERS?

In his Davao address last week, Mr Duterte explained that he was prescribed fentanyl due to a severe spinal injury.

“I am perpetually in pain,” he told the crowd, in a video broadcast by Filipino television network ABS-CBN.

“The doctor stopped (prescribing fentanyl) because he got mad. I’m supposed to cut it into four pieces,” he said, suggesting he used the drug beyond the medically-advised dosage.

“More than just the disappearance of pain, you feel that you are on cloud nine,” he said. “Everything is okay with the world, nothing to worry about.”