A ‘slaughter them’ policy that targets the Philippines poor
President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs policy has led to more than 20,000 deaths since 2016.
The Philippines’s war on drugs presses on despite the coronavirus lockdown. President Rodrigo Duterte has stated that he would instruct the military to shoot anyone “who creates trouble” during the country’s lockdown. His use of excessive force to further his policies is nothing new. Since 2016, the president has enacted a “slaughter them” policy against anyone suspected of drug use. More than 20,000 drug-related deaths have occurred since 2016 – most of them extrajudicial killings.
Many say the war on drugs in the Philippines is a war on the poor. To understand how classism has upended Philippine society, we speak to Leah Borromeo, filmmaker of The Mortician of Manila documentary, and co-founder of Disobedient.
The team:
Priyanka Tilve produced this episode with Alexandra Locke, Dina Kesbeh, Ney Alvarez, Amy Walters, and Malika Bilal. Alex Roldan is the sound designer. Natalia Aldana is the engagement producer. The Take’s Executive Producer is Stacey Samuel and Graelyn Brashear is Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio.
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