Likening himself to the infamous Nazi leader Adolf Hitler (insert) who killed millions of Jews duringWorld War II, President Duterte says he’s also willing to kill 3 million drug addicts in the country. Some Jewish groups, however, found the statement outrageous. JOAN BONDOC/USHMM.ORG
President Rodrigo Duterte’s reference to the Nazi killing of Jews during the Holocaust in his bloody war on drugs was “wrong and unacceptable,” rights group Karapatan said on Sunday.
“Any reference to Hitler, Bush or any other mass murderer in history to encourage the mass killing of 3 million alleged drug addicts is wrong and unacceptable,” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said in a statement.
READ: Duterte ‘Hitler’ talk reaps international censure
“We reiterate that the right to life and to due process should always be respected and upheld,” Palabay said.
The group said Duterte should address the country’s drug problem to its core and put a stop to alleged extrajudicial killings instead of making controversial statements that draw international backlash, like his invoking of Adolf Hitler.
“Instead of such statements, Pres. Duterte should stop drug-related killings and prosecute the perpetrators, prosecute and punish those in government involved in the drug trade, and strike at the heart of the problem of the illegal drug trade by undertaking and emphasizing social and economic reforms that uphold people’s rights and uplift our quality of life,” Karapatan said.
“He should pursue his position against US intervention, including the shunning of US military aid used for counter insurgency and to maintain US political hegemony, and develop an independent foreign policy for the country’s sovereignty. He should pursue just and lasting peace by releasing more political prisoners, putting a stop to military operations in communities, and resolve the roots of the armed conflict,” the group added.
As of Sept. 29, the Inquirer’s “Kill List” notes 1,166 drug-related deaths since June 30 or after Duterte assumed office.
READ: THE KILL LIST
Upon arriving from an official visit to Vietnam, Duterte on Friday said he would be “happy to slaughter” three million drug addicts in the Philippines by himself in the same way that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews before and during the Second World War.
““If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have …,” Duterte told reporters in Davao City, before pausing and pointing to himself.
The President’s remarks drew a barrage of criticisms from the United Nations, German and Israeli governments, the Pentagon, and international rights groups. JE/rga