When Duterte took office in 2016, he launched a war. Drugs are ruining the country, he said. He promised that people will die and they did.
Men, women, and children were killed by the police during operations, others by gunmen believed to be death squads. They were murdered inside their homes, in the street, in dark alleyways while some were abducted and later found dead, dumped on the side of the road with their faces covered in masking tape, all for the world to see.
According to human rights groups, there are more than 30,000 casualties since the drug war was launched but the police claim that their data is much lower, only taking responsibility for 6,000 deaths. Amnesty International concludes in 2019 that the human rights violations under Duterte have “reached the threshold of crimes against humanity”.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte during the campaign on May, 2016, days before the election. He promised that people will die and they did.
Arrests during a police operation in Manila.
A victim of a summary execution is dumped on a sidewalk in Mandaluyong on the night of October 24, 2016.
Midnight after Christmas
Children play with guns during the wake Richard Reyes and Liwayway Yabut, victims of unknown gunmen who gunned them down on December, 2016, Both surrendered to Oplan Tokhang.
Horror in front Sta. Catalina
Forensic officers inspect a crime scene in front of Sta. Catalina College in Manila when two bodies were dumped wrapped in packing tape with signs that bore "drug peddlers, don't emulate".
Jazmine Durana cradles her 1-month old daughter Hazel at the wake of her partner16-year old John “Toto” Dela Cruz who was killed by men in black masks on January 26, 2017 in Navotas. She said she heard the suspects accuse Toto of stealing and using drugs before they shot him four times.
