Watchdog to investigate Duterte

MANILA // The Philippines’ independent rights watchdog said yesterday it would investigate president Rodrigo Duterte’s boasts he killed criminals years ago, invoking a strong rebuke from the Filipino leader against a United Nations official who called for the murder probe. Mr Duterte, who is waging an anti-drugs war that has left thousands dead, said last week that he helped police kill three suspected kidnappers in the first of his terms as mayor of the southern city of Davao.

UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Tuesday that Mr Duterte’s killings, by his own admission, “clearly constitute murder” and Philippine judicial authorities must launch an investigation.

Mr Duterte replied to Mr Al Hussein’s call with a stream of insults in a speech yesterday, describing the UN official as “either a joker or slightly unhinged” while stating that UN member nations’ contributions pay the UN officials’ salaries.

“You, the officials sitting there. You as***es, we pay you your salary. You idiot, you do not tell me what to do. I am your employer and you do that, do it to a nation.”

The head of the Philippine commission on human rights, Jose Gascon said yesterday that he had formed a team of investigators to look into alleged past killings by Mr Duterte.

“Law enforcement agencies must investigate as a matter of course any information that suggests that a crime may have been committed with the view to ensuring that perpetrators are ultimately held accountable should the evidence warrant it.”

The commission is an independent government body that prosecutes law enforcers or other officials who commit torture, extrajudicial killings or violate Filipinos’ constitutional rights. It had investigated then Davao mayor Mr Duterte over allegations he ran death squads that killed more than 1,000 petty criminals.

More than 5,300 people have died since he became president in June, including 2,124 at the hands of police. The commission has said it is investigating several cases where police were responsible.

Mr Duterte insists police have not broken any law in killing drug suspects.