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Duterte on drug war: I didn't know I was fighting my own govt

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Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/07/26/20210726-duterte-sona-pcoo-screengrab20.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte gives his last State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives on July 26, 2021. <em>PCOO screen grab</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte, who failed to deliver on his election promise of crushing illegal drugs in 3 to 6 months, said on Monday he &quot;did not know that I was fighting my own government.&quot; </p><p>Duterte said, when he made the promise, he thought the narcotics situation &quot;was like in Davao [City],&quot; where he was a long-time mayor and where authorities could &quot;coerce, intimidate or bribe&quot; drug peddlers to leave. </p><p>However, he said he discovered that some policemen were &quot;doing their thing, their drugs; they were the manufacturers and they were the distributor of drugs.&quot; </p><p>He added, &quot;Customs and everyone else were facilitating the importation of drugs.&quot; </p><p>&quot;Kaya ‘yan ang masakit sa loob ko (that is what really hurts me). I did not know that I was fighting my own government,&quot; Duterte said in his final State of the Nation Address (SONA). </p><p>With less than a year left in his presidency, he said, &quot;There are about a thousand Filipinos arrested everyday by the police in connection with drug trafficking.&quot; </p><p>&quot;And that is why I go crazy looking at the situation. They are still around,&quot; the President continued. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/multimedia/slideshow/07/26/21/sona-2021-duterte-promises">From ending ‘endo’ to waging drug war: Has change come under Duterte?</a></li></ul><p>Issuing his oft-repeated threat, he told drug peddlers, &quot;Those who destroy my country, I will kill you.&quot; </p><p>He said the International Criminal Court (ICC) <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/26/21/duterte-sona-2021-icc-drug-war">&quot;can record&quot; his threat</a>. </p><p>A former chief prosecutor of the ICC has requested a full-blown inquiry into the alleged crimes against humanity under Duterte&#x27;s drug war. </p><p>More than 6,000 people have been killed in over 200,000 anti-drug operations conducted since July 2016, according to official data. Human rights groups estimate the number of dead could be several times higher.</p><p>Duterte refuses to submit to the ICC inquiry. In 2019, he withdrew the Philippines from the court after it launched a preliminary examination into the war on drugs.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/22/21/duterte-icc-probe-bullshit-drug-war">Duterte calls ICC drug probe ‘bulls**t’, says he won’t defend self before ‘white people’</a></li></ul><p>The court could still investigate crimes committed while the country was a member, ICC&#x27;s former chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has said. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/06/19/21/duterte-icc-case-update">Duterte&#x27;s cooperation in ICC probe &#x27;preferred, but not essential&#x27; - law expert</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/15/21/dutertes-refusal-to-cooperate-with-icc-probe-not-a-problem-amnesty-intl">Duterte&#x27;s refusal to cooperate with ICC probe &#x27;not a problem&#x27;: Amnesty Int&#x27;l</a></li></ul><p>The Supreme Court has junked petitions questioning Duterte&#x27;s withdrawal from the ICC, but it also reiterated in a ruling this July that the Philippines is still obliged to comply with the ICC treaty. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/21/21/sc-president-has-no-unbridled-authority-to-withdraw-from-icc-treaty-but-junks-petitions-questioning-it">SC: President has no ‘unbridled authority’ to withdraw from ICC treaty but junks petitions questioning it</a></li></ul><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse </strong><br/> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1734846" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>President Rodrigo Duterte, who failed to deliver on his election promise of crushing illegal drugs in 3 to 6 months, said on Monday he "did not know that I was fighting my own government." <br /> </p>

President Rodrigo Duterte, who failed to deliver on his election promise of crushing illegal drugs in 3 to 6 months, said on Monday he "did not know that I was fighting my own government."

Duterte on drug war: I didn't know I was fighting my own govt

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Duterte on drug war: I didn't know I was fighting my own govt

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 26, 2021 06:56 PM PHT

Read More:

SONA 2021

SONA

Duterte SONA

Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte ICC

Duterte drugs

Duterte drug war

Duterte crimes against humanity

Duterte International Criminal Couty

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