Duterte asks human rights advocates: Don’t threaten police with filing of cases

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte told human rights advocates Monday not to scare police officers in drug operations by filing cases against them and urged them instead to “take a closer look” at the drug situation in the country.

In his weekly briefing, Duterte pointed out that some police officers also died during drug operations.

“So I’m requesting human rights [advocates], kindly take a deeper look into the drug situation. You would notice that there are really persons who die almost daily because they really fought back and that’s not counting my police officers who were also hit and died,” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino.

“You can see what’s happening. So if you don’t want to help, just don’t threaten the police with law suits,” he added. 

Duterte said state sources and other information on anti-drug operations could not be divulged. 

“[On the] opening of records, they can’t be opened. You might see your names… That’s why we cannot show it to you, you might find your name there. That’s what can’t be given,” Duterte said. 

“But if you say: How did someone die in an encounter? How were they attacked? That’s okay. We have no problem with that. But the state secrets or the sources we get from anywhere and everywhere, that cannot be divulged publicly. It means to say that you can’t see them,” he added. 

According to data presented by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), 11 persons died in 1,095 drug operations conducted from June 6 to June 13. During these operations, 1,576 were also arrested. 

From the operations, crystal meth and marijuana amounting to P1.2 billion were also confiscated, said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

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