President Rodrigo Duterte said today his decision to exclude the National Bureau of Investigation the Philippine counterpart to America's FBI from the crackdown left him with fewer enforcers and raised the need for him to tap the military to help wage the campaign.
Duterte says he will issue a formal order to harness troops in the fight against illegal drugs, which he has elevated into a national security threat.
Duterte again lashed out at critics of his campaign, including the dominant Roman Catholic church and US officials, saying he did not feel like sending a Filipino ambassador to Washington.