Image capture from News 5 video - A group has come forward claiming that they are executing drug pushers in Central Luzon
- The group, calling itself the SPP, said they are killing these people in support of President Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign
- Bodies of suspected drug lords or drug pushers continue to pile up since Duterte assumed office on June 30
MANILA, Philippines – A group claiming to be executing suspected drug pushers in Central Luzon has come forward to warn others of their mission to cleanse the country in the name of President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
In a video sent to News 5, the group calling itself Socialist Party of the Philippines (SPP) said they have been rounding up drug-related suspects based on reports from concerned citizens.
“Bilang tugon namin sa panawagan ng bagong presidente na si Rodrigo Duterte na samahan namin siya na labanan ang droga, ang SPP, kasama ang kaniyang hukbo – ang Rebolusyonaryo Partisanong Hukbong Bayan – ay sumusulong para parusahan, hulihin ang lahat ng mga drug lords, lahat ng mga pusher sa ating bansa,” said a man who spoke before the camera with his face covered.
[In response to the call of our new President Rodrigo Duterte for us to join him in his campaign against drugs, the SPP, along with its armed wing – the Revolutionary Partisan People’s Army – is now moving to punish, arrest all the drug lords and pushers in our country.]
Due process
The man, however, said that these suspected pushers are not immediately punished as they also have to go through surveillance, investigation and ‘due process’ as per the socialist group’s own law.
Once proven guilty of being involved in illegal drug activities, the suspect will be punished by execution.
“Wala na kaming magawa kundi kailangan na silang bigyan ng pahinga. Papahingahin na sila para hindi na makagawa pa ng damage sa milyon-milyong mga tao,” said the group
[We can no longer do anything but to put them to ‘rest’. They will have to ‘rest’ so that million others will be saved from their damages.]
The group also warned drug lords to ‘immediately stop’ now or they will face death by execution in the hands of the SPP.
Towards the last part of the clip, the group presented four persons allegedly involved in drugs. The suspected pushers were taken to an undisclosed place before they were presumed to have been shot to death.
CCP answers Duterte’s call
Earlier, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) vowed to support Duterte’s campaign to rid the country of drugs by ordering its armed group, the New People’s Army (NPA), to arrest or even kill drug traffickers if they resist.
“While the CPP does not accept his reference to the duly constituted people’s courts as ‘kangaroo courts’ and reiterating the right to due process of criminal suspects, the CPP and the revolutionary forces accept President Duterte’s offer of anti-drug cooperation,” said a statement form CPP.
Dead bodies pile up
As of July 6, or a week after Duterte assumed the presidency, an Inquirer’s ‘kill list’ claimed a total of 61 people who are allegedly involved in drug trade have been killed since June 30, with some of them still unidentified.
The most number of victims were killed on July 3 (19), July 1 (14) and July 2 (12).
Since May 10, or one day after the national election, there have been 108 recorded deaths that are drug related.
Some parts of the clip sent by SPP to News 5 can be viewed below:
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