Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he talks during the 115th Police Service Anniversary at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Manila Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016. The brash-talking Philippine president criticized the United Nations Wednesday for condemning the spate of killings of suspected drug criminals in the country, but allegedly remaining silent on bombings in the Middle East that have killed entire villages and communities. (Noel Celis/Pool Photo via AP) NOEL CELIS
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Philippines: 'Fight against drugs will continue'
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte says the Philippine government is willing to submit to "an investigation before anybody” over the deaths of hundreds of suspected drug criminals since his election in May.
Estimates of the number killed range between 600 and 1000, but Mr Duterte (pictured) said some of them were carried out by drug gangs, not police.
"The fight against drugs will continue unrelenting until we have destroyed the apparatus operating in the entire country,” he said. "I, who ordered the campaign against drugs, take full and sole responsibility for it.”
