Rodrigo Duterte has ordered police to kill his eldest son if drug trafficking allegations against him are proven true.

The Philippine President added he would make sure those who carried out the execution would be protected from prosecution.

The 72-year-old, speaking to government workers at the presidential palace in Manila, insisted death would be the result for any of his children involved in drugs.

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"I said before my order was: ’If I have children who are into drugs, kill them so people will not have anything to say’,” he said.

"So I told Pulong (his son’s nickname): ’My order is to kill you if you are caught, and I will protect the police who kill you, if it is true’.”

Paulo Duterte appeared before a Senate inquiry earlier this month to deny links to a seized shipment of $125m (£93m) worth of crystal methamphetamine from China.

Opponents of his father, who has begun a brutal crackdown on the drugs trade, say they believe the 42-year-old may have helped ease the entry of the shipment into Manila.

Senator Antonio Trillanes, a staunch critic of the President, told the Senate panel he had intelligence that Mr Duterte was a member of a criminal gang, citing a “dragon-like” tattoo with secret digits on his back.

Mr Duterte admitted he had a tattoo, but refused to describe it and told the panel there was “no way” he would allow a photo to be taken and sent to the US Drug Enforcement Agency for decoding.

Presidential spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said the presence of the younger Duterte showed he was “willing and ready to face malicious allegations” intended to impugn his “character and credibility”.

Shape Created with Sketch. The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Show all 9 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte 1/9 On killing drug addicts “These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, don’t go into that, even if you’re a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful” 2/9 Message to China “I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, ‘Kill me’ ” AP 3/9 Christmas message to law-breakers “If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas” AP 4/9 On sex life “I was separated from my wife. I’m not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up” AFP/Getty Images 5/9 On the drugs trade “None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, ‘kill him'" AP 6/9 Insulting the Pope “We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: ‘Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again’” AFP/Getty Images 7/9 Joke about rape “I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first” AFP/Getty 8/9 Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS 9/9 On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA 1/9 On killing drug addicts “These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, don’t go into that, even if you’re a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful” 2/9 Message to China “I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, ‘Kill me’ ” AP 3/9 Christmas message to law-breakers “If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas” AP 4/9 On sex life “I was separated from my wife. I’m not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up” AFP/Getty Images 5/9 On the drugs trade “None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, ‘kill him'" AP 6/9 Insulting the Pope “We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: ‘Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again’” AFP/Getty Images 7/9 Joke about rape “I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first” AFP/Getty 8/9 Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS 9/9 On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA

Since Mr Duterte’s election on 30 June last year, police records show more than 3,800 people have died in anti-drug operations, with more than 2,100 separate murders linked to drugs.

The Philippine leader has insisted he would quit if critics could prove any of his children were involved in corruption. </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte “has said he will have his son killed if drug trafficking allegations against the younger politician are true, and that the police who carry out the hit will be protected from prosecution,” AFP reports.

“Paolo Duterte, 42, this month appeared before a senate inquiry to deny accusations made by an opposition lawmaker he was a member of a Chinese triad who helped smuggle in a huge shipment of crystal methamphetamine from China.” </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said he will have his son killed if drug trafficking allegations against the younger politician are true, and that the police who carry out the hit will be protected from prosecution. Paolo Duterte, 42, this month appeared before a senate inquiry to deny accusations made by an opposition lawmaker he was a member of a Chinese triad who helped smuggle in a huge shipment of crystal methamphetamine from China.

President Duterte did not refer to the allegations specifically but reiterated his statement from last year’s election campaign that none of his children were involved in drugs, but they would face the harshest punishment if they were. “I said before my order was: ‘If I have children who are into drugs, kill them so people will not have anything to say’,” Duterte said in a speech on Wednesday night before government workers at the presidential palace in Manila.

“So I told Pulong (Paolo’s nickname): ‘My order is to kill you if you are caught. And I will protect the police who kill you, if it is true’,” he said. Duterte, 72, won the presidential elections on a brutal law-and-order platform in which he promised an unprecedented campaign to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing up to 100,000 traffickers and addicts.

Since he assumed office in the middle of last year, police have reported killing more than 3,800 people in anti-drug operations while thousands of others have been murdered in unexplained circumstances.

Duterte has as president said he would be “happy to slaughter” three million drug addicts, and described children shot dead in the drug war as “collateral damage”. But he has also repeatedly insisted he has never instructed police to do anything illegal, and that they must only kill in self-defence.

Duterte’s aides have cautioned journalists not to believe everything the president says, sometimes describing his comments as “merely rhetoric” or “hyperbole”. Some opposition lawmakers and other Duterte critics allege he and his family have long been involved in corrupt activities dating back to the president’s two-decade reign as mayor of the southern city of Davao.

Duterte denies all allegations of corruption, and insists he is an anti-graft crusader who lives a humble lifestyle. In this month’s senate hearing, the opposition lawmaker said Paolo Duterte, who is vice mayor of Davao, and the president’s son-in-law were involved in a criminal syndicate called the “Davao Group”.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App </s> Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said that he will kill his son if drug trafficking allegations against him are true. He also assured that police officials, who carry out the hit against the younger politician, will be protected from prosecution.

Duterte's son, 42-year-old Paolo, appeared before a senate enquiry this month to deny the accusations made by an opposition lawmaker. Paolo has also been accused of being a member of a Chinese triad who assisted in a huge shipment of crystal methamphetamine from China.

The opposition lawmaker had also alleged that Paolo and the president's son-in-law were involved in a criminal syndicate called the "Davao Group". The duo, however, denied any involvement in the syndicate.

Although the Philippines President did not make a reference to the allegations laid against him, he mentioned specifically in a statement that none of his children were involved in drug trafficking, and that they would face the harshest form of punishment if it was found out that they were.

"I said before my order was: 'If I have children who are into drugs, kill them so people will not have anything to say'," Duterte said in an address to government workers at the presidential palace in Manila.

"So, I told Pulong (Paolo's nickname): 'My order is to kill you if you are caught. And I will protect the police who kill you, if it is true'," he said.

Duterte has been embroiled in controversies ever since he took over as the President in June. He has encouraged citizens in the Philippines to bring drug peddlers to justice in the country as part of his crackdown on suspected drug dealers and users. According to reports, nearly 1 lakh drug traffickers and addicts have been killed in the crackdown.

Duterte has often threatened drug suspects with death. Earlier this year, he had said that he would be happy to "slaughter" three million drug addicts, and described children shot dead in the drug war as "collateral damage".

However, Duterte has also repeatedly insisted that he has never asked police to do anything illegal and that the officials must only kill in self-defence.

Duterte denies all allegations of corruption, and insists he is an anti-graft crusader who lives a humble lifestyle. In this month's senate hearing, the opposition lawmaker said Paolo Duterte, who is vice mayor of Davao, and the president's son-in-law were involved in a criminal syndicate called the "Davao Group". </s> The Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, has said he would have his son killed if drug trafficking allegations against the younger politician were true, and that the police who carry out the hit would be protected from prosecution.



Paolo Duterte, 42, appeared this month before a senate inquiry to deny accusations made by an opposition lawmaker that he was a member of a Chinese triad gang who helped smuggle in a huge shipment of crystal methamphetamine from China.

Duterte did not refer to the allegations specifically but reiterated his statement from last year’s election campaign that none of his children were involved in drugs, but they would face the harshest punishment if they were.

“I said before my order was: ‘If I have children who are into drugs, kill them so people will not have anything to say,’” Duterte said in a speech on Wednesday night in front of government workers at the presidential palace in Manila.

“So I told Pulong [Paolo’s nickname]: ‘My order is to kill you if you are caught. And I will protect the police who kill you, if it is true,’” he said.

Duterte, 72, won the presidential elections on a brutal law-and-order platform in which he promised an unprecedented campaign to eradicate illegal drugs in society by killing up to 100,000 traffickers and addicts.

Since he assumed office in the middle of last year, police have reported killing more than 3,800 people in anti-drug operations while thousands of others have been murdered in unexplained circumstances.

Thousands of his critics and supporters held rival rallies on Thursday, taking national debates over his deadly drug war and martial-law threats to the streets.

Police in battle uniforms were mustered to keep order as protesters held a series of rallies across Manila, using the 45th anniversary of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos imposing martial law to say Duterte was equally violent and authoritarian.

“Our country is turning into a graveyard. People are getting killed every day and we bury the dead every day, just like in the time of Marcos,” anti-Duterte protest leader Pedro Gonzales said.

But supporters of Duterte also turned up in large numbers, reflecting his popularity with many Filipinos who see him as a charismatic, anti-establishment politician who is their best chance to quell crime and corruption.

As president, Duterte has said he would be “happy to slaughter” 3 million drug addicts, and described children shot dead in the drug war as “collateral damage”. But he has also repeatedly insisted he has never instructed police to do anything illegal, and that they must only kill in self-defence.

The anti-Duterte protesters were backed by the political opposition and leaders of the Catholic church, the country’s dominant religion, signalling a rising opposition to Duterte.

Leni Robredo, the vice-president, and Benigno Aquino, Duterte’s predecessor – both critics of the incumbent leader – attended a separate mass on Thursday for those killed in the drug war. “The good part of this is there are so many people concerned, from different ages,” Aquino told reporters.

Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, denounced the drug killings at another mass on Thursday, saying Catholics must do more than lighting candles for the dead and helping orphans. “Stand up. To keep quiet in the face of evil is a sin,” he said. </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's son and son-in-law denied allegations Thursday that they belonged to a drug trafficking gang, with the explosive claims raising questions about the government's bloody anti-narcotics crackdown.

Duterte came to power last year promising to wage a brutal and unprecedented war on drugs. Since then, police have killed around 3,800 suspects in anti-narcotics operations, while thousands of other people have been murdered in unexplained circumstances.

His son Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases Carpio appeared at a Senate inquiry Thursday to answer accusations that they helped facilitate the shipment of crystal methamphetamine worth 6.4 billion pesos ($125.4 million) into the Philippines from China in exchange for payment.

The allegations emerged last month when a customs broker told the Senate panel that he had heard the names of Duterte's son and son-in-law mentioned while seeking to expedite the shipment.

The broker later issued a statement clearing the two men of involvement.

But opposition senator Antonio Trillanes at the inquiry accused Duterte's son of belonging to a drug trafficking gang, saying the 42-year-old had a tattoo on his back, resembling a dragon, that was "proof... of his membership" in the gang.

Paolo Duterte, vice-mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the panel that he had a tattoo but said he could not answer allegations based on hearsay.

"The law of karma will operate especially to those with evil intent," he added in a apparent swipe at Trillanes, an arch-critic of the president.

Carpio, who is married to Davao city mayor Sara Duterte, also rejected allegations against their family.

"Me and my brother-in-law have been publicly crucified based on rumours and gossip," said Carpio, a lawyer.

"I have no knowledge of or involvement in the illegal drugs shipment."

The sensational allegations have captured the attention of Filipinos, many of whom back the president's vow to pursue an unrelenting war against drug traffickers.

Duterte, 72, has said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million Filipino drug addicts, even as critics warn the deaths of thousands of people killed in the crackdown may amount to a crime against humanity.

Duterte has denied ever inciting police or vigilantes to commit mass murder.

In speeches, he had encouraged his son to attend the hearing but advised him to invoke his "right of silence". </s> Mourners call for justice after 17-year-old was killed by police during bloodiest week of President Duterte's drug war.

More than 1,000 mourners attended a funeral procession in Manila for a high school student, whose killing last week by anti-drugs officers has caused rare public outrage over the country's war on drugs.

Crowds chanted for "justice" on Saturday in the Philippine capital in what became one of the biggest protests in the country against President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug drive.

Kian Loyd Delos Santos was dragged by plain-clothes policemen to a dark alley in northern Manila, before he was shot in the head and left next to a pigsty, according to witnesses whose accounts appeared to be backed up by CCTV footage.

The death of the 17-year-old has drawn domestic attention to allegations by activists that police have been systematically executing suspected users and dealers, a charge the authorities deny.

"I came to support the family. I want justice for Kian and all victims - including my son," Katherine David, 35, whose 21-year-old son was shot dead by police with two other men in January.

READ MORE: Thousands demand end to killings in Duterte's drug war

Mourners carried placards reading, "Stop the killings," "Police, murderers" and "Justice for Kian" as they marched for about five kilometres from a church near Delos Santos' house to the cemetery where he was buried.

The parents and lawyers of Delos Santos filed a murder complaint against the three anti-narcotics policemen on Friday.

"Kian was a very good son," Saldy Delos Santos said in a message at the last mass for his son. "The entire community knew him as a good person ... He was begging for his life..They [the killers] probably have no heart."

Richard Heydarian, political science professor from Manila's De La Salle University, said public anger had exploded because of Delos Santos' young age.

"This is a second coming of Duterte's war on drugs and what happened this time is not about the killing of a likely innocent person, but we're talking about the minor who was killed, and the killing of the minor was caught on CCTV," he told Al Jazeera. "That is why you see a huge backlash against the war on drugs."

Public support for the anti-drugs drive had until recently been strong.

"The number one concern for people here is not against Duterte himself, but they feel like he is relying on the wrong agent, which is the national police of Philippines to wage this war," said Heydarian.

"You cannot wage a holy war with unholy men, so what people want here is to clean up the police force and to make sure that within the police forces there is accountability and discipline."

Reporting from Manila, Al Jazeera's Jamela Alindogan said that there might be a chance that this case, out of the more than 10,000 drug-related killings, would be solved.

"It remains to be seen whether this will change the approach of the president when it comes to his so-called war on drugs," she said, "or if it even will lead to reform within the police institution in this country."

"We march today to bring Kian to his final resting place and to support the call for justice for all victims of Duterte's fascist drug war," said Renato Reyes, secretary-general of left-wing activist group Bayan (Nation), said in a statement.

Bayan criticised the campaign for corrupting the police force "through a system of quotas and financial rewards for police officers".

"We call for accountability of the police officers directly involved in the killings as well as accountability of the commander-in-chief who sanctioned the killings," Reyes said.

Delos Santos was among more than 90 people killed in the bloodiest week in Duterte's anti-drug war since he took office on June 30, 2016.

The case has highlighted the allegations of abuse by police in the anti-drug war, in which at least 3,500 people have been killed over the last year.

Duterte has assured the public that police officers involved in Delos Santos' death would go to jail if found guilty.

"If it was really a rub out, they (police officers) have to answer for it. They have to go to jail. I'm sorry," he said.

Duterte has vowed in the past to protect the police against legal cases filed against them. </s> PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday brushed aside the possibility of being hauled into international courts over mounting deaths in his war against illegal drugs, daring his critics to send him to jail for it.

But Duterte, in his National Heroes’ Day speech, pointed out that he should not be compared with the murderous Islamic State or Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who are accused of various atrocities and crimes against humanity.

“Did I kill a child? Did I drop bombs like Assad and those other idiots? Did I burn women who refuse to have sex?” the President said at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig.

“I will take full legal responsibility. I will be happy to join them in prison. I will not ask for a special room. I’d just ask for a bed, foam, and something to read. Do not scare me with [these cases of]genocide,” he said.

Duterte again argued that his war against the illegal drug trade would be for the “law-abiding, God-fearing citizens to be comfortable, period, that they are not molested, their children can walk the streets and come home safe and sound.”

Last week, the Philippine National Police told a Senate investigation 756 drug suspects have been killed in police operations nationwide. A total of 1,160 deaths were also recorded “outside police operations,” likely perpetrated by vigilantes or drug syndicates out to cover their tracks.

On August 18, UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and Dainius Pūras called on the Philippine government to stop the wave of killings of people linked to illegal drugs, saying that going after drug traders won’t exempt “state actors” from international legal obligations.

Callamard said Duterte’s supposed directives to kill drug suspects and drug users who don’t surrender were “irresponsible in the extreme and amount to incitement to violence and killing, a crime under international law.”

 “It is effectively a license to kill,” she said.

Bounty

 Duterte ignored the rapporteurs’ warning against encouraging impunity, and threatened to put a P2-million bounty on policemen involved in the illegal drug trade.

He even urged law enforcers to rat on their colleagues.

“I consider the fight against drugs a war. I am declaring war. It has infected every nook and corner of this country, involving generals, mayors, governors, barangay (village) captains, and so many of the ‘ninjas’ [as]we call them … these are the police who are into it,” Duterte said in Taguig.

“I might be inclined to place a reward on their head, the members of the police who are protecting the drug syndicates in this country. I am placing, per head, P2 million,” he said.

Duterte pointed out that there are now 3.6 million drug dependents in the country based on data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. These drug dependents are not mere “users” given their sheer number, he claimed.

“You can just imagine a country with three million addicts and they say they are just users. My God! If you are a user, you are [also a]pusher. You have to [establish]connect[ion][with]somebody to finance the [drug]fix,” he claimed.

Drawback

 Duterte was unfazed by the killings and said his intensified anti-drug campaign won’t spare anybody, including the poor.

“They (critics) would want to make it appear that just because this guy is poor, therefore, he should not be made accountable to law but placed in a hospital,” he said.

“In this planet, you can’t have your cake and eat it too. If you see drugs as a viable livelihood, there will always be a drawback,” the President said. </s> A former Filipino militiaman testified before the country's Senate that President Rodrigo Duterte, when he was still a city mayor, ordered him and others to kill criminals and opponents that left about 1,000 dead.

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A former Filipino militiaman testified before the country’s Senate on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte, when he was still a city mayor, ordered him and other members of a liquidation squad to kill criminals and opponents in gangland-style assaults that left about 1,000 dead.

Edgar Matobato, 57, told the nationally televised Senate committee hearing that he heard Duterte order some of the killings and acknowledged he himself carried out about 50 of the abductions and deadly assaults, including a man who they fed to a crocodile in 2007 in southern Davao city.

The Senate committee inquiry was being led by Sen. Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign that has left more than 3,000 suspected drug users and dealers dead since he assumed the presidency in June. Duterte has accused de Lima of involvement in illegal drugs, alleging that she used to have a driver who took money from detained drug lords. She has denied the allegations.

The hearing was briefly halted so senators could discuss how to provide security for Matobato because of the explosive nature of his allegations.

“Our job was to kill criminals like drug pushers, rapists, snatchers,” Matobato said under oath, adding some of the targets were not criminals but opponents of Duterte and one of his sons in Davao city.

Presidential spokesman Martin Andanar rejected the allegations, saying government investigations into Duterte’s time as mayor of Davao had already gone nowhere because of a lack of real evidence.

There was no immediate reaction from Duterte, who has denied any role in extra-judicial killings when he was the longtime mayor of Davao and after he assumed the presidency in June.

Matobato said the victims in Davao allegedly ranged from petty criminals to people associated with Duterte’s political opponents, and included a wealthy businessman who was killed in central Cebu province because of a feud with Duterte’s son over a woman.

Some of the victims were shot and dumped on Davao streets or buried in three unmarked graves, he said, adding some were disposed of in the sea with their stomachs cut open so they would not float and would be eaten by fish right away.

“They were killed like chickens,” said Matobato, who added he backed away from the killings after feeling guilty and entered a government witness-protection program.

He left the program when Duterte became president, fearing he would be killed.

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Speaking to government workers at the presidential palace in Manila, President Rodrigo Duterte orders police to kill his eldest son, Paulo Duterte, if drug trafficking allegations against him are proven true, and adds that those who carried out the execution would be protected from prosecution.