Fernando G. Sepe Jr., ABS-CBN News

MANILA- The Philippines was tagged as second least peaceful country in the Asia-Pacific region this year due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody narcotics crackdown, the Global Peace Index claimed in its recent study.

Manila’s score declined by 0.044 points to 2.555, and was runner-up to North Korea, which was identified as the least peaceful country in the region with a score of 2.967.

Screenshot from Global Peace Index 2017 report

The report said Duterte’s nationwide controversial war on drugs has negatively affected the country’s societal safety and security indicators, a claim that Malacanang disputed Friday.

“The Philippines’ overall score has deteriorated since new president Rodrigo Duterte took office in June 2016. A bloody war against drugs and crime has been extended nationwide, and is reflected in a deterioration of the country’s Societal Safety and Security indicators,” the report said.

The report added that extrajudicial killings of alleged criminals and illegal drug users have “significantly increased security risks, even for ordinary citizens who could potentially get caught in the crossfire.”

But Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the study did not make sense as most Filipinos expressed satisfaction with the government’s efforts to fight poverty, criminality, terrorism, and the illegal drug menace.

“Basically, we don’t know where that person is coming from, because if you based it on reports… what we know from local polls is that 75 percent of Filipinos are happy with Duterte administration’s performance,” Abella

Local and international human rights advocateshave long criticized Duterte's war on drugs and have called for a public health approach in addressing the narcotics problem.

Malacañang has repeatedly denied that alleged extrajudicial killings are state-sanctioned and defended Duterte's drug war.

Police data showed nearly 3,000 drug suspects died in presumed legitimate police operations in Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs.

Out of 9,432 homicide cases from July 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 or the first 9 months of the Duterte administration, 1,847 were found to be drug-related, with 5,691 cases under investigation.

Duterte's anti-narcotics drive also resulted to a 26.45 percent drop in the estimated total drug market and 28.57 percent reduction in index crime, according to police data.

Despite this, Manila's ranking globally went up to the 138th spot just behind India, from the 139th spot in 2016.

New Zealand, which ranks as the second most peaceful country in the world, topped countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Iceland maintains its spot as the most peaceful country globally followed by New Zealand, Portugal, Austria, and Denmark.

War-torn Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, South Sudan, and Yemen filled the bottom spots of the index.

Produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the latest Global Peace Index ranks 163 countries based on their level of peacefulness.

View the full 2017 Global Peace Index report here.