Duterte orders police to kill ‘idiots’ who violently resist arrest

‘Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has granted officers permission to kill “idiots” who violently resist arrest, and has tasked a controversial police chief with continuing his pursuit of suspects in the deadly war on drugs.
Duterte paused his speech at the Heroes’ Cemetery near Manila on Monday to address comments to Jovie Espenido, a police chief inspector who has come under fire from human rights groups for his work against drugs.
“Your duty requires you to overcome the resistance of the person you are arresting… [If] he resists, and it is a violent one…you are free to kill the idiots, that is my order to you,” Duterte told Espenido, as quoted by Reuters.
He said, however, that “murder and homicide and unlawful killings” are not allowed and that officers must uphold the rule of law.
Espenido was condemned by human rights groups after several local chief executives were killed in police raids in areas where he was assigned. However, Duterte has praised his work in the controversial anti-drug campaign.’
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