Duterte urges Filipinos to support war on drugs, corruption

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday urged Filipinos to support his war on drugs and corruption to attain peace in the country of more than 100 million.

"I invite everyone to be our government's partners in our fight against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, and in attaining peace and development in our country," Xinhua news agency quoted Duterte as saying in his New Year message.

"The achievement of these goals will reclaim order and safety in our communities and will enable us to restore the public's trust in government and in our people's capacity to serve," Duterte said.

Nearly 6,000 suspected drug addicts and pushers have been killed since Duterte took office, prompting many Western countries like the US and the European Union to criticise the new administration.

However, Duterte was unfazed by the mounting criticism, vowing to continue his bloody war on drugs until the last addict is dead.

He said there are about four million Filipinos who are either hooked onto drugs or involved in the booming industry in the Philippines.

He recently showed a list of some 6,000 police and military officers, politicians and local officials who are allegedly involved in the drug industry.

Aside form drugs, Duterte is also waging a war against corrupt government officials.

--IANS

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