War on drugs to continue and will cost lives, says Duterte

Bystanders and a policeman look at the body of a woman, later identified by her husband as that of Nora Acielo, still clutching the school bag of her child, are reflected in a pool of water after she was shot by still unidentified men while walking with her two children to school at a poor neighborhood in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016. Police said the killing of Acielo was the 13th recorded drug-related case in the past 24 hours in President Rodrigo Duterte’s unrelenting war on drugs. (Photo by BULLIT MARQUEZ/AP)

President Rodrigo Duterte warned on Thursday that his war against illegal drugs would continue till the end of his term and would cost lives.

“There is a war going on and it will cost lives,” Duterte said in a one-on-one interview with Luchi Cruz-Valdes which aired over TV5. “I have six years and it will continue to the last day of my term.”

During the election campaign, he promised to rid the country of the drug menace in six months.

However, he said, he only learned of the extent of the problem when he assumed the presidency.

Duterte dismissed criticisms that his war on drugs had emboldened security forces and vigilante groups to carry out extrajudicial killings.

International groups, including the United Nations and the European Union, have raised concern over Duterte’s war on drugs.

The President, however, has remain adamant, saying no foreigner can dictate on how he will run the country.

“Forget about the law, forget about killings,” he said “I just want to preserve my nation, my country.” /ATM