Philippines president admits he's killed suspected drug criminals to show police how it's done

'...if I can do it, why can't you?'

On Monday, December 12, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte spoke to business leaders at the presidential palace, where he shared his extremely active role in supporting extrajudicial killings.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Duterte stated: "In Davao I used to do it personally. Just to show the guys [police] that if I can do it why can't you.

"And I'd go around in Davao with a motorcycle, with a big bike around, and I would just patrol the streets, looking for trouble also. I was really looking for a confrontation so I could kill."

Last year, Duterte admitted he killed at least three men suspected of kidnapping and rape in Davao, sending waves of conflicted comments throughout the country.

Many citizens support their president, who seemed to have dominated the war on drugs within only a few months, while others remain unconvinced his tactics are truly in the public's best interests.

Human rights groups remain unyielding in their call to cease Duterte's controversial, murderous "solutions."

Amnesty International's director for South East Asia and the Pacific, Rafendi Djamin, told the BBC: "The climate of impunity in the Philippines has intensified even further since President Duterte began his brutal crackdown on suspected drug users and dealers in July, with a wave of unlawful killings claiming more than 5,000 lives across the country.

"By boasting about the blood on his own hands, President Duterte will further embolden police and vigilantes to blatantly violate laws and carry out more extrajudicial executions without fear of being held to account."

In response to ongoing calls from various human rights and religious organizations, Duterte previously claimed he would stop at nothing to protect his people - even if it meant slaughtering human rights groups.

It is this sort of comment that pulls Duterte's word into question. He claims to want to protect his people yet he encourages violence in the streets. He threatens anyone who stands in his way but has made extreme progress in the ongoing drug war.

Will President Duterte bring peace and protection to his country or will he fall in ruin? It would seem only time will tell.

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