TOKYO-2017 Editorial / Political

Duterte's War on Drugs is Not Over

  • Prize
    Silver in Editorial/Photo Essay, Bronze in Editorial/Political
  • Photographer
    Ezra Acayan

Drug-related killings continue as Rodrigo Duterte has sat in power for nearly two years. The death toll of the drug war has reached more than 16,000, carried out by police in controversial drug sting operations or by suspected vigilantes. United Nations member states called on the Philippine government to conduct a "thorough" investigation into extrajudicial killings in the country and hold accountable the perpetrators. Duterte won the presidency in a landslide victory by pledging to kill thousands in an all-out war against drugs in a country where drugs and crime are deeply-rooted.