Trump Celebrates “Great Relationship” With Philippine President Duterte
Today, U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated his “great relationship” with President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, who is responsible for waging a brutal war on drugs that has killed thousands of people.
Upon assuming the presidency in May of 2016, Duterte called for the murder of people who use or sell drugs, promising medals for citizens who comply and pardons for police if they are charged with human rights violations while carrying out the executions. Since then, estimates for the number of people killed in Duterte’s drug war range from 7,000 up to 14,000. These extrajudicial killings have largely claimed the lives of the country’s most marginalized and vulnerable citizens, including those who are unemployed or underemployed.
This is not the first time Trump has offered praise to Duterte. In April, Trump invited Duterte to the White House and commended Duterte for “fighting hard” to rid the Philippines of drugs.
Last Thursday, in advance of the ASEAN Summit, over 270 non-governmental organizations, political leaders, and human rights advocates released a joint statementcalling on world leaders attending the ASEAN Summit to demand an end to the killings in the Philippines, a respect for human rights, and a process of accountability, starting with a United Nations-led investigation.