After the U.S. State Department condemned the Philippine government for condoning the vigilante murders of drug dealers and users, a spokesman for the government has responded by making a distinction between extrajudicial killings and the execution of drug offenders.

Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes bloody war on drugs has claimed about 8,000 lives during its eight-month campaign. Around 2,555 of these deaths are counted as casualties in confrontations with police, but international rights groups claim that a large number of the deaths were assassinations to which police have turned a blind eye.

Philippine authorities dispute these claims, officially stating that police are required to follow the law and that extrajudicial killings are not tolerated. They instead blame the deaths on rival drug gangs or vigilantes working without anyones approval.

As it turns out, at least one person has explicitly condoned such assassinationsPresident Duterte himself: "Please feel free to call us, the police, or do it yourself if you have the gun you have my support," he said last June upon taking office. "Shoot [them] and I'll give you a medal."

When the State Departments annual Report on Human Rights Practices pointed out the hypocrisy by Philippine officials, Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella argued that these killings are not in conflict with their position against extrajudicial killings.

"Vigilante or extrajudicial killings are unlawful and are therefore not sanctioned. The government condemns such practice," Abella said in a statement. "These are not to be confused with the government's war on illegal drugs, which is an urgent and critical domestic matter."

Abella asked for the support of the international community in their continuing noble crusade against drugs.

President Dutertewho says he used to kill drug criminals as his hometowns mayor just to show the [police officers] that if I can do it, why cant you?seems to have majority support among the Philippine people with a 91% trust rating as of July 2016.

Always at odds with Obama, Duterte claims to have found approval from President Donald Trump after a phone call between the two in December, even snagging an invite to the White House from the then-president elect.

Follow this link:

Duterte Administration: Human Rights Not as Important as War on Drugs - TheFix.com