More than 1,500 people have been killed since Duterte took office and immediately began his law-and-order crackdown, according to police statistics, triggering fierce criticism from the UN and rights groups. “Maybe we’ll just have to decide to separate from the United Nations. The UN’s special rapporteur on summary executions, Agnes Callamard, last week said Duterte’s promise of immunity and bounties to security forces who killed drug suspects violated international law. The killings represent a massive increase on crime deaths before Duterte took office. Duterte has repeatedly insisted police have only killed in self defense, while maintaining the other deaths are due to drug syndicates killing each other.

Source: Manila Times August 21, 2016 08:48 UTC