Rappler's latest stories on War on drugs
[PODCAST] Law of Duterte Land: Can we trust the gov't panel probing drug war deaths?
The government trying to make systems work is a welcome thing, but is it sincere and is it moving fast enough? We take a nuanced look at policy work.
CHR: Duterte's strong-arm approach contributes to culture of impunity
CHR Commissioner Karen Gomez-Dumpit says the Philippines 'must change course guided by the human rights-based approach to democratic governance'

To avoid ICC, Duterte admin forms panel to probe deaths in police operations
(UPDATED) Justice Secretary Guevarra however tells the UN Human Rights Council the panel will engage the Commission on Human Rights as an independent monitoring body
U.N. rights chief: Duterte drug war 'without due regard for the rule of law'
UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet says the 'killings have been widespread and systematic – and they are ongoing'

LIVE: U.N. rights office presents PH situation report to Human Rights Council
Watch Michelle Bachelet of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights presents the comprehensive report on Tuesday, June 30, at 4:30 pm Manila time

'Far from collateral damage:' Report shows 122 children killed in Duterte's drug war
The World Organization Against Torture and the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center say the number is 'a minimum' as families are often too afraid to report or testify

4 years on, climate of fear and impunity blocks justice for Duterte’s drug war victims
Police still refuse to cooperate with the Commission on Human Rights while some families signify that they will probably file cases after the Duterte administration

U.N. experts renew call for urgent probe into Philippines' human rights abuses
(UPDATED) The experts also call on the International Criminal Court to 'expedite and prioritize the completion of its preliminary examination of the situation in the Philippines'

[OPINION] Why you can't support both #BlackLivesMatter and Duterte’s drug war
'If you are performatively hashtagging about the murders of Michael, Breonna, and Trayvon, you cannot congratulate the murders of Kian, Jefferson, Carl, and over 20,000 other Filipinos'

Amnesty PH slams PDEA for seeking info on 'drug suspects' via Facebook
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency wants to get tips on drug suspects through a Facebook page. Amnesty International Philippines hits the 'dangerous' move.

Lalamove rider killed in Cavite drug buy-bust
Cavite police say the suspect shot at a cop and resisted arrest


PH refuses to fully implement U.N. human rights recommendations
The Duterte administration 'fully rejects' findings of the UN human rights office that government actions are shrinking civic space for legitimate dissent and leading to serious abuses

Police seize P5.1B worth of shabu in Bulacan
(UPDATED) The Philippine National Police earns praise from President Duterte for the buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of 3 suspects, including a Chinese

U.N. report: PH local system not enough to exact accountability for killings
This is noteworthy because to open a formal investigation, where summonses and arrest orders can be issued, the ICC must establish that the Philippines is unable or unwilling to investigate on its own
U.N. report: Documents suggest PH police planted guns in drug war ops
United Nations Human Rights Office says 'police repeatedly recovered guns bearing the same serial numbers from different victims in different locations'
Abuses, killings in PH possibly incited by Duterte's violent rhetoric – U.N. report
Widespread killings and abuses 'suggest that [Duterte]'s public comments may have incited violence and may have had the effect of encouraging, backing, or even ordering human rights violations with impunity'

Duterte's focus on 'real and inflated' security threats leads to serious rights violations – U.N. report
(UPDATED) The United Nations Human Rights Office says human rights violations in the Philippines have been 'reinforced by harmful rhetoric from high-level officials,' some rising 'to the level of incitement to violence'

DOCUMENT: U.N. Human Rights report on killings, abuses in PH
The report by the United Nations says the Duterte goverment's 'heavy-handed' focus on national security threats has led to serious human rights abuses

Duterte's violent drug war leaves children traumatized – HRW
(UPDATED) The 'harmful consequences' of the anti-drug campaign go beyond bloody raids, says Human Rights Watch. Children who lose a loved one are left deeply scarred.

[EDITORIAL] In the face of impunity and double standards, #LawIsLaw
Duterte and former police chief Bato dela Rosa have created a monster force – one that will make Hitler proud

4 drug suspects dead, 9 arrested in Bulacan anti-illegal drugs operations
Authorities say all the alleged shootout happened in the wee hours covered by the curfew imposed under the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the province

Mexico bans virus cremations due to search for drug war dead
Victims of cartel hitmen or corrupt authorities often disappear without a trace. A wave of violence since 2006 has left more than 60,000 missing.

Duterte: It is my job to kill
'It is my job to scare people, to intimidate people, and to kill people,' says President Rodrigo Duterte in a speech before local officials

Grieving children's choir breaking Philippine drug war cycle
One of their most powerful appearances came last year at a protest near Duterte's annual address to the nation, where they sang their signature piece, 'Awit ng Naulila'

Duterte: Don't be president if you can't kill
President Rodrigo Duterte also says he does not see anyone 'fit' to serve as president after him

With blood pact, new ICAD co-chair Dante Jimenez vows commitment to drug war
Newly appointed Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs co-chair Dante Jimenez proves his support for the drug war with a thumbprint marked in blood

[PODCAST] How Duterte's drug list works
Inclusion in President Rodrigo Duterte's drug list has been used to justify arrests and killings on mere suspicion
PNP Western Visayas clears Espenido of drug links
This is the first step in Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido's removal from President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial drug list
YA novel on drug war 'Patron Saints of Nothing' longlisted for 2020 Carnegie Medal
Randy Ribay's book – set in the backdrop of President Rodrigo Duterte's 'war on drugs' – is among the 20 novels from around the world vying for the prestigious literary award

Cop among 357 policemen on Duterte drug list already dead
According to Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa, the cop was recently shot dead
Big funds, little transparency: How Duterte's drug list works
How did drug war poster boy Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido end up in President Rodrigo Duterte's own drug list?
Año confirms Espenido is on Duterte's own drug list
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año confirms Rappler's report that drug war poster boy Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido is on President Rodrigo Duterte's own drug list
PNP allows general in Duterte drug list to retire early with benefits
Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa gives cops on the Duterte drug list the chance to retire early before being investigated for administrative and criminal cases
Cebu cop killed during botched buy-bust operation
Police arrested one suspect in the shooting, and are hunting the other 2

Drug war poster boy Jovie Espenido is on Duterte drug list
One of President Rodrigo Duterte's most lauded cops is on his own drug list
Gamboa warns police in Duterte drug list: If you're guilty, better retire now
Philippine National Police chief General Archie Gamboa says they will not publish the names of the police on the drug list, stressing that they are innocent until proven guilty
FALSE: U.N. chief Guterres defends Duterte's war on drugs
This is a fabricated, rehashed claim that first surfaced in 2017

11 killed, 111 arrested in weeklong anti-drug sweep in Bulacan
Bulacan police conduct multiple anti-drug operations from February 3 to February 9
For a 'human rights culture': Group launches children's rights comic book
Batang May K!, a collaboration between PhilRights and Makô, hopes to make children understand better the importance of human rights amid violations under President Rodrigo Duterte

Dishonesty, lack of transparency ‘glaring’ features of Duterte gov’t – rights group
PhilRights executive director Nymia Simbulan says the lack of state accountability reflects 'how the government values and looks at human rights and human lives'

Eddie Villanueva slams drug killings, but says Duterte not to blame
The evangelical pastor, now one of the House of Representatives' deputy speakers, says 'scalawag' policemen are behind the drug killings

Robredo to reporters: Have a stronger voice than 'heartless trolls'
Enumerating her office's achievements, Vice President Leni Robredo urges journalists to help her fight authoritarianism

Still no 'meaningful accountability' over drug war killings under Duterte – Amnesty Int'l
Amnesty International says that 'families were unable to obtain justice for their loved ones, due to enormous obstacles to filing cases against perpetrators, including fear of retaliation'

'Nakilaban': Drug suspect killed in Laoag in alleged shootout
The Laoag police say Andrew Ventura was Number 3 in their most wanted list for another offense – running away with a motorcycle

PDEA Bicol seizes P136 million worth of shabu at Matnog port
The suspected shabu was hidden in 20 individual teabags, which weighed around 20 kilos overall and were placed inside a gray luggage bag

No letup in human rights abuses under Duterte – Human Rights Watch
'The need for international mechanisms to provide accountability is as great as ever,' says Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson

Int'l Criminal Court: Probe of drug war continues even with Sabio 'withdrawal'
(UPDATED) The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) says a withdrawal of communication is not even allowed under the Rome Statute
Big majority of Filipinos see 'many' human rights abuses in Duterte's drug war – SWS
(UPDATED) Majority of respondents in the December 2019 survey agree with the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution calling for actions against extrajudicial killings related to President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-illegal drug campaign

[ANALYSIS] The stroke of genius in Robredo’s drug war report
For too long Duterte’s war on drugs has hidden behind a veil of fear, lies, and misconceptions. It’s high time for facts and statistics to pierce that veil.
