Drug war death toll now at 6,191; arrests pass 300,000 – PDEA
Human rights advocates who see the drug war as President Rodrigo Duterte’s chief instrument of control see no end to scenes like this. This photo was taken in July 2019. (File photo by RAFFY LERMA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — A total of 6,191 individuals have been killed during drug war operations since July 1, 2016, when President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, up to Aug. 31, 2021, according to Real Numbers, the regular update on the campaign maintained by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
A total of 307,521 suspects were arrested in 213,504 drug war operations during the same period.
The latest death toll of 26 was recorded last August.
On average, the drug war has killed an estimated two people per day, according to “Violence, Democracy and Human Rights in the Philippines,” a recent study conducted by the University of the Philippines in collaboration with two universities in Belgium — Ghent University and the University of Antwerp.
READ: Duterte drug war has killed 2 per day, says UP study
PDEA also reported the arrest of 13,224 high-value targets (also fro July 1, 2016 to Aug. 31, 2021), broken down as follows:
- 322 foreigners
- 390 elected officials
- 120 uniformed personnel
- 498 government employees
- 3,696 target-listed individuals
- 791 drug group leaders and members
- 75 armed group members
- 1,353 drug den maintainers
- 283 on wanted lists
- 24 celebrities and Professional Regulatory Commission license holders
- 5,692 individuals arrested from high-impact operations
PDEA noted that the number of government employees it arrested had gone past 1,000 with 1,008 total arrests. This is composed of 498 government employees, 120 uniformed personnel, and 390 elected officials.
The estimated total value of the illegal drugs isP64.09 billion. Crystal meth, more popularly known locally as shabu, account for the seized drugs — 8,374.29 kilograms with an estimated value of P52.96 billion.
Also part of the seized items were over 7,012.53 kilograms of marijuana leaves, 523.48 kilograms of cocaine, and 129,012 pieces of ecstasy tablets.
Duterte’s drug war has been widely criticized both locally and abroad because of its bloody implementation.
Last Sept. 15, the International Criminal Court authorized a probe of the drug war in connection with the crimes against humanity case filed against Duterte and several others by victims of the campaign and their relatives.
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