Philippines defends Duterte's war on drugs

A spokesperson of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte insisted that it was not the president's intention for anyone to die in the government's crackdown on drug.

"Of course (Duterte doesn't want to kill anyone). Nobody wants to kill anyone," Martin Andanar, Philippine Presidential Communications Secretary, told China Daily in an exclusive interview in Hong Kong.

The president's war on crime has triggered criticism from foreign governments and human rights group. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned Duterte's "apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killing, which is illegal and a breach of fundamental rights and freedoms" in June.

Duterte has "publicly encouraged" police and civilians to kill drug addicts and dealers, said the Guardian.

The death toll in Duterte's campaign against drug-related criminals has risen to around 3,000, according to reports from the Philippine police.

Andanar said the media was being "unfair" in labeling the 3,000 deaths as extrajudicial killings, and urged the press to "qualify their reports".

"It should be 1,500 because half of the deaths are out of authorized police operation, and the other 1,500 are under investigation," he claimed.

Referring to Duterte as "a hardliner on the law and order", Andanar also stressed that the drug problem deprived the economy millions earned legally.

"With the humongous amount of drug addicts in the Philippines, you are losing on so many fronts. The president has always been explicit that he does not want to sacrifice the next generation of Filipinos, so the problem should be solved right now."

He claimed that out of a 104-million population, more than 3.7 million Filipinos are drug dependents.

Over 700,000 drug users have surrendered to the authority, and now need rehabilitation, he added, pointing out that China was already committed to helping the Philippines with the rehabilitation of drug dependents.

According to the Philippine Health Department and the President's Office, China is building a 10,000-bed mega treatment and rehabilitation center in the northern Luzon island in the archipelago.

Andanar also urged the two countries to cooperate in intelligence sharing and maritime security to stop transnational drug shipment.

China recently voiced its supports for Duterte's campaign against drug-related crimes.

"Illegal drugs are the enemy of all mankind," Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua said on September 27.

"The Chinese side fully understands and firmly supports the Duterte administration's policy that prioritizes the fight against drug crimes, and stands ready to continue to cooperate with the Philippines by providing further assistance and jointly implementing a bilateral plan of action," Zhao said.