PDEA: 54 drug suspects killed during operations in December 2018

MANILA, Philippines — Government data on Friday showed a continuous climb in the number of deaths in anti-drug operations with an additional 54 fatalities occurring in December 2018 alone.

According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) tally, the December death count brings the total number of drug suspects killed to 5,104 since President Rodrigo Duterte launched his brutal war on drugs in July 2016.

These drug suspects were killed in the course of 117, 385 anti-drug operations, while 167,135 drug personalities have been arrested as of December 31, 2018, PDEA noted.

PDEA also reported that 621 government workers were arrested in anti-drug operations. Of this figure, 282 were government employees, 262 elected officials, and 67 uniformed personnel.

The bloody campaign against illegal drugs is among the key promises of Duterte during his 2016 campaign.

Local and international human rights group have denounced Duterte’s drug war as law enforcers have been accused of killing drug suspects, an allegation the government vehemently denied. /kga