Rodrigo Duterte was elected as the new Filipino President on a law and order agenda. His first few month have now seen this agenda put into practice with an estimated 300 people killed in extra judicial hits. These murders are being justified as part of a War on Drugs to clean up the Philippines. Unsurprisingly, as examples from Mexico and Thailand show, it is working class people and communities who are the main victims of this repression. In addition, the Philippines has a tragic history, going back to the Marcos dictatorship era, of death squads targeting labour and human rights activists.
Rodrigo Duterte was elected as the new Filipino President on a law and order agenda. His first few month have now seen this agenda put into practice with an estimated 300 people killed in extra judicial hits. These murders are being justified as part of a War on Drugs to clean up the Philippines. Unsurprisingly, as examples from Mexico and Thailand show, it is working class people and communities who are the main victims of this repression. In addition, the Philippines has a tragic history, going back to the Marcos dictatorship era, of death squads targeting labour and human rights activists.
