‘Not butchers’: Philippines police chief denies brutality as over 1,900 killed during war on drugs

‘Police taking part in a large-scale anti-drug operation in the Philippines which started after the president took office are “not butchers,” the police chief has said, adding there is no declared policy to kill drug users and pushers.
Several weeks into the tenure of Rodrigo Duterte, the hardline president, the Philippines’ anti-narcotics operation is in full swing despite pressure from human rights groups and Manila’s international partners.
On Tuesday, Ronald dela Rosa, director-general of the national police, was summoned to parliament to explain the “unprecedented” rise in the body count and reported surge in vigilante killings, Reuters reported.’
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