WAR ON DRUGS A police investigator inspects the body of a suspected victim of extrajudicial killing. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 6,225 drug suspects had been killed in the government’s war against illegal drugs as of the end of 2021, according to a report released by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Tuesday.
The PDEA revealed this number through its Real Numbers PH, a regular update on drug war statistics, adding that 323,579 suspects were arrested in a total of 224,215 drug war operations from July 1 or since President Rodrigo Duterte took office.
Meanwhile, as the drug war nears its sixth year as well as the end of Duterte’s term, the PDEA said 11,175 barangays (villages) have yet to be “cleared” of illegal drugs, while 24,253 of the 42,045 total barangays have been proclaimed drug-free,
Of the number of arrested individuals, PDEA said 14,220 were considered high-value targets, which involves the following:
- 349 foreign nationals
- 395 elected officials
- 126 uniformed personnel
- 517 government employees
- 3,937 targets listed
- 797 drug group leaders and members
- 75 armed group members
- 1,474 drug den maintainers
- 291 on wanted lists
- 24 celebrities or licensed professionals
- 6,255 from high-impact operations
The majority of the illegal substances confiscated during the operations total P75 billion. Crystal meth or shabu remains to be the most discovered and seized illegal drug, which accounts for 9,850.67 kilograms (kgs), followed by marijuana (9,429.86 kgs), cocaine (524.59 kgs), and ecstasy (160,111 pieces).
Duterte’s infamous war on drugs garnered criticisms not just across the country but all around the world due to its bloody execution almost as soon as it began back in 2016.
Some human rights groups even claim that the number of individuals slain during the drug war can be between 12,000 and 30,000.
A study was done by the University of the Philippines (UP) on July 23, even revealed that the drug war had killed an estimated two people each day.
Just last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber allowed the Office of the Prosecutor to do a full-blown investigation into allegations that Duterte committed the crime against humanity of wide-scale murder.
Both Malacañang and Duterte, however, have refused to acknowledge this. Even arguing against the ICC’s jurisdiction over the country, and claiming several times that they would not cooperate with the probe.
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