“License to Kill”

eal crime wave unleashed by his own policy—namely, the murder of hundreds of alleged
drug dealers, petty criminals, and street children.
On numerous occasions as mayor, Duterte
claimed personal responsibility for the
policy of killing drug suspects. For example,
in February 2009, Duterte stated: “If you are
doing an illegal activity in my city, if you are
a criminal or part of a syndicate that preys
on the innocent people of the city, for as
long as I am the mayor, you are a legitimate
target of assassination.” 8
Duterte is not the only Philippine mayor
“
I will definitely kill you. I will win
because of breakdown in law
and order. I do not want to
commit a crime. But if by chance
per chance God will place me
there, stay on guard because
that 1,000 will become 100,000.
You will see the fish in Manila
Bay becoming fatter. That is
where I will throw you.”
― Rodrigo Duterte, May 24, 2016
implicated in extrajudicial executions of
alleged criminals. Alfredo Lim, a former police officer and chief of the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI), was implicated in using similar tactics while mayor of the capital,
Manila, from 1992 to 1998. He was never prosecuted for his alleged role in the summary
executions of dozens of suspected drug dealers and other alleged criminals. Instead, his
statistics and wholly omitting complete annual crime data sets. Instead, according to statistics from the police, between
1999 and 2008, the population in Davao City grew from 1.12 million to 1.44 million, or by 29 percent. Meanwhile, the number
of annual crime incidents during this period rose from 975 to 3,391, or by 248 percent. These numbers show that, contrary to
the city government’s self-proclaimed success, its tough anti-crime campaign failed to curve crime rates. Instead, an
increasing number of death squad killings appears to have contributed to worsening crime rates in the city.
8 Andrew R.C. Marshall and Manuel Mogato, “Philippine death squads very much in business as Duterte set for presidency,”
Reuters, May 26, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-duterte-killings-insight-idUSKCN0YG0EB. Duterte has
made many such statements as mayor. In 2003, he told the Washington Post: “I don’t mind us being called the murder
capital of the Philippines as long as those being killed are the bad guys. From day one, I said henceforth Davao [City] will be
very, very dangerous for criminals. I’ve been telling criminals it’s a place where you can die any time.” See, Alan Sipress,
“Vigilante killings alarm Philippines citizens,” The Washington Post, November 30, 2009, http://www.preda.org/world/
vigilante-killings-alarm-philippines-citizens/. During his 2004 re-election campaign, Duterte told a crowd: “If I win, more
criminals will get killed because I have vowed to protect the people of this city. It’s true that there have been killings. But
who were those killed? Weren’t they criminals? They were all fools. Now if you tell me you won’t vote for me because I’ve
killed many people, then don’t vote for me.” Kathy Marks, “Philippines city flourishes under rule of the gun,” Preda
Foundation Inc., May 20, 2004, http://www.preda.org/world/philippines-city-flourishes-under-rule-of-the-gun/. In February
2009, addressing a public meeting hosted by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and the Davao City Council’s committee
on human rights, Duterte stated: “What I want is to instill fear. …If it will send the wrong signals, then I am sorry. But what
wrong did I commit? The problem comes if we get the wrong people. … I have children. And if you give drugs to my children, I
will not go to the police to report you. What I will do is to grab a gun and go to you and kill you.” Jeffrey M. Tupas, “Where
crime suspects live dangerously,” Philippine Daily Inquirer, February 25, 2009.
27 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | MARCH 2017