No need to apologize for killing drug suspects – Duterte

SINGAPORE – Despite the flak he is getting for his bloody war on drugs, President Duterte sees no need to apologize for the killing of drugs suspects.

At the sidelines of his two-day visit here, Duterte distanced himself from summary executions, saying that the spike in such killings was not sanctioned by his administration.

“I’m not having any apology. I don’t, really, they do not make any sense. It’s not genocide. It’s not about race or religion. It’s about crime. It is not covered under the charter of that International Criminal Court,” Duterte said during a meeting with the Filipino community before he flew back to Manila on Friday night.

“It is only when you do so much killing against the race, or religion, or political prisoner,” Duterte said. “But if you are fighting drug addicts and criminals, I can go as many as I want and for as long as there are drug pushers in the streets in my country, for as long as there are drug lords, this campaign will go on until the last day of my term, and until all of them are killed, may I emphasize on that,” he added.

Duterte also said he has no regrets over his statements which may have encouraged the summary killings.

The President even said he had no remorse killing criminals. He admitted that he shot dead three hostage takers in the past. He said he was carrying an M-16 rifle at that time and that he did not know how many bullets pierced the criminals.

Defending anew his tough stance against illegal drugs, Duterte told drug dealers that he “would not have any second thought about cutting your head off.”