MANILA, Philippines — If elected as the next President, Senator Manny Pacquiao on Thursday said he will continue the war against illegal drugs but he will do it “in the right way.”
He said that under his administration, there would be no human rights violations.
Pacquiao issued the remark when asked if he agreed with and would emulate how the Duterte administration released a list of names of politicians allegedly involved in illegal drugs.
“Sa aking administrayon, God willing, tuloy ang war on drugs in the right way. Walang maaabusong karapatan, walang maaapakan na karapatan na tao,” he said in a press conference.
(In my administration, God willing, the war on drugs will continue but in the right way. No human rights will be abused.)
He cited a provision in the Bill of Rights stating that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty and property due process and that people are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
When President Duterte assumed office in 2016, he launched a bloody and relentless campaign against illegal drugs.
In the course of the campaign, the death toll ranged from 6,000 based on official government figures and 30,000 based on claims made by human rights groups and critics of the violence that marked the campaign.
Duterte is facing an investigation into his alleged crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court, which, he said, he is not willing to face nor will he be willing to cooperate with any probe that will stem from the case.