Duterte meets Ashley Abad’s parents

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday said he met with the parents of a teenager who died of suspected drug overdose in Cebu City last month.

Speaking before village officials in Legazpi City, Albay, Duterte said Ashley Abad’s parents went to his office on Thursday.

Abad, 19, allegedly ingested party drugs when she attended the Sinulog party last January 19, but she collapsed at the VIP deck area of the concert venue. She died a day later.

“Kahapon ‘yung kay Ashley, yung bata na namatay, [her] parents went there sa opisina ko. Kaganda ng bata, 19 years old, medical student. Ang human rights wala akong narinig sa mga p— inang,” Duterte said.

(Yesterday, the parents of Ashley went to my office. She was a beautiful kid, 19 years old, a medical student. I did not hear anything from human rights groups.)

The President, however, did not provide further details of the meeting.

Duterte, who has launched a brutal war on drugs since assuming the presidency in 2016, stressed that Abad’s case shows how the drug menace in the country destroyed the lives of the youth. /ee

READ: Ashley Abad is laid to rest; family wants justice

READ: Police begin probe on the death of pre-Sinulog concert attendee Ashley Abad