Any president of a country has to support the rule of law. Any encouragement of vigilante killing or administering private action against criminals can only lead to a drift (or rush) to uncontrolled murder and government-sponsored violence with gross effects on society and the people. This is the very reason why killing and murder are illegal under law and this is why a wide body of international law has been built up in support of the rights of the individual, which include, as one of the most important, the right that anyone (including a criminal) has the right to free and fair trial for any crime.
Therefore, the United Nations is entirely right to condemn Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s “crackdown” on drugs as a violation of human rights. Since Duterte took office in June this year, the police have killed more than 650 suspected drug dealers (which Duterte and the head of the police say are justified as acts of self-defence), and a further 900 unexplained murders have been perpetrated by suspected vigilantes encouraged by the president. It is shocking that this large number of deaths has been encouraged by the Philippines government and is tolerated by the authorities.
It is foolish of Duterte to bluster and threaten to leave the UN because of its criticisms. He will get no support from China and any African nation to form another body, as he claimed he would in one of his more imaginative flights of fancy. The Philippines should not isolate itself from the world body of nations and it should seek to restore the rule of law so that its people can expect their government to restrain itself within the confines of legal processes, for the betterment of society at large.
