Philippines drug war deaths climb to 1,800; U.S. 'deeply concerned'
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS | Mon Aug 22, 2016 5:49pm EDT
Philippines drug war deaths climb to 1,800; U.S. 'deeply concerned'
By Karen Lema | MANILA
The Philippines has recorded about 1,800 drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte took office seven weeks ago and launched a war on narcotics, far higher than previously believed, according to police figures.
Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa told a Senate committee on Monday that 712 drug traffickers and users had been killed in police operations since July 1.
Police were also investigating 1,067 other drug-related killings, Dela Rosa said, without giving details. On Sunday, Duterte railed against the United Nations for criticizing the wave of deaths.
The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said it was "deeply concerned" by the reports, and U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner urged Duterte's government to ensure that law-enforcement authorities abided by human rights norms.
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