Duterte lauds operations, calls for more killings of drug suspects to reduce drug menace

  MANILA – Thirty-two alleged drug suspects were killed while more than a hundred others were arrested in police operations in Bulacan province north of Manila that started Monday and ended on Tuesday night. The number of deaths is considered the highest recorded by authorities since the start last year of anti-illegal drug operations of the government called Oplan Tokhang (Double Barrel) ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte lauded the police operation and called for the killing of more drug suspects to reduce the drug menace in the country. Speaking in Filipino and English at the 19th anniversary of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) held in Malacañang: "Yung namatay daw sa Bulacan, 32 (Thirty-two people reportedly died in Bulacan) in a massive raid. Maganda yun (That's good). "Pumatay tayo (Let's kill) another 32 everyday, maybe we can reduce what ails this country." In Bulacan, Provincial Police Director Senior Superintendent Romeo Caramat Jr. said the big number of fatalities was the result of "uncontrollable situations" during the operations that have turned into kill-or-be-killed circumstances. Lawyers in Bulacan province led by the governor of the Central Luzon chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) supported the conduct of the operations. Bulacan is located in Central Luzon region. IBP Central Luzon governor Jose de la Rama, who is also head of the IBP chapter in Bulacan, said: "It's better to see 20 drug addicts dead than see 20 innocent women or children raped and killed (by drug addicts)." Past heinous crimes in the Philippines have been perpetrated by drug dependents. "The policemen are just doing their job. It means the drug problem is so wide in scope and so many dependents are still using (narcotics) despite the government initiative to curtail it. The police must be serious in their drug operation in the province and the officers must be commended for doing their job," De la Rama said. Bulacan Congressman Jonathan Sy-Alvarado, for his part, noted that the deaths which occurred in a span of one day "are alarming" as he appealed to those still involved in illegal drugs "to stop these activities and surrender peacefully." Kin and relatives of the slain drug suspects have not claimed their bodies as of Wednesday, according to the police. Meanwhile, Duterte said he expects human rights groups to criticize the police operations and seek justice for the slain drug suspects. "Many are being killed because policemen are working. They are protected under my watch," said Duterte. The international community as well as foreign and local human rights advocates have lambasted the anti-drug operations of the Duterte administration but Duterte shrugged off their criticism. According to police records, at least 3,500 drug suspects have been killed in police operations and by vigilantes but foreign and local media reports said more than 9,000 drug users and pushers have been killed. 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