Leftists call for end to ‘unabated’ drug killings

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/576363/news/nation/leftists-call-for-end-to-unabated-drug-killings

They may have friendly relations with President Rodrigo Duterte but leftists under the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) have hit out at the surge of killings under the administration’s war on drugs and crime.

Calling for an end to the “unabated” killings, Bayan urged Duterte to hold perpetrators accountable, whether they be from the drug syndicates or from law enforcers themselves.

“It is not enough that the President condemn the killings,” it said in a statement on Thursday.

At least 440 drug suspects have been killed since the government launched an intensified crackdown on illegal drugs, according to GMA News data as of Wednesday afternoon.

Of this number, 41 percent or 181 were perpetrated by unidentified suspects, while 59 percent or 259 of the cases were during legitimate police operations.

“It is necessary that government start making abusive officials accountable,” Bayan added.

The organization also raised concern about reports of police abuse, citing the death of motorcyclist John Dela Riarte after he allegedly resisted arrest by the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group following a traffic accident in Makati City on July 29.

“Already, impunity has crossed over to other aspects of law enforcement,” Bayan said.

“The mounting deaths are unacceptable and will inevitably spur more protests. These killings must stop,” it added.

Bayan had said they will continue to oppose any “anti-people policies and programs” of Duterte. This is even though some of their allies occupy posts in the government in line with the President’s goal of ending the decades-old Communist insurgency. —Virgil Lopez/JST, GMA News

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