Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to continue his bloody drug war during his State of the Nation address Monday.
President Rodrigo Duterte: “The fight will be unremitting, as it will be unrelenting. Despite international and local pressures, the fight will not stop until those who deal in it understand that they have to cease, they have to stop, because the alternative are either jail or hell.”
Filipino security forces and vigilantes have killed more than 7,000 suspected drug users and dealers since Duterte launched his so-called war on drugs one year ago. During his State of the Nation, Duterte also attacked multiple Filipino media outlets, including the popular Filipino-owned website Rappler, which Duterte falsely accused of being American-owned. On Sunday, the Philippines Congress also granted Duterte’s request to extend martial law in the southern region of Mindanao until the end of the year.