Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that many more people will die in the anti-drug campaign that he launched after assuming office on June 30.
Before leaving for the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit in Laos September 6-8, Duterte said many more will die until the last drug trafficker leaves the country's streets. Nearly 2,500 people have been killed since the launch of the campaign, Efe news agency reported.
The President, whose aggressive war on drugs had come under severe criticism from the UN and human rights groups, added he will not tolerate other heads of state or governments in Laos commenting on his campaign.
Of the 2,500 deaths in the campaign between July 1 and August 31, 929 were killed in police raids and 1,507 in extra-judicial executions.
In Laos, Duterte is scheduled to meet with nine heads of state, including the US President Barack Obama, who is expected to discuss the human rights situation in the Philippines with him.
Duterte, however, rejected all possible criticism from Obama over his war on drugs and assured the people that he would not kneel before anyone.
Duterte won the presidential elections on May 9, 2016 riding on the promise of ending the country's drug problem within the first six months of his mandate.
--IANS
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