‘War on drugs’ blamed for deaths of at least 122 children in Philippines

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‘War on drugs’ blamed for deaths of at least 122 children in Philippines

3 July 2020

By Rebecca Ratcliffe for The Guardian

At least 122 children, including a one-year-old, have been killed during President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” in the Philippines, according to a report that concluded some children have been deliberately shot at and targeted as proxies.

The study, by the World Organisation Against Torture, adds to growing calls for the UN human rights council to establish an independent investigation into abuses committed under Duterte. Rights groups estimate that tens of thousands of people may have died as a result of unlawful killings during anti-drug operations launched after his election in 2016.

The report, which examines child deaths between July 2016 and December 2019, reports that police were responsible for just over half of the killings documented. Others involved unknown individuals, often wearing masks or hoods, some of whom allegedly had links to the police.