President Duterte’s Drug War Supported By Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev
On Tuesday (November 29, 2016), Igor Khovaev, Russian Ambassador to the Philippines expressed his support to the anti-illegal drug campaign of President Duterte.
The Russian envoy said that he supports Duterte’s war on drugs, but he refused to give comments on the procedure for implementing the program. Igor still backs the Philippine president despite the criticism of different groups on Duterte’s drug war.
Rodrigo Duterte takes over the presidency from former President Benigno Aquino III on June 30, 2016. Few months after he took office, there are more than 4, 000 mostly small-time drug users and pushers lose their lives on different police counter-narcotics operation.
United States (US), United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), and foreign human rights groups criticized Duterte war on drugs amid Extra Judicial Killing (EJK) in the country. But Duterte defends his campaign against illegal drugs and launched a series of tirades against his critics.
In a press briefing in Quezon City, the Russian envoy wishes for the success of Duterte’s campaign but refuse to give comments on methods used for implementing the campaign. Khovaev also mentioned that illegal drugs are also one of their primary concern in Russia. Igor expressed his sorrow over the Russian national who smuggled illegal drugs into the country.
Igor believes that the Philippines can handle properly the institution in dealing the human rights concern on the ongoing war on drugs. The Russian government is also willing to support Philippines through providing equipment and training to country’s police to address the issue on illegal drugs in the Philippines.
Earlier this month, President Duterte and Russian President Vladimir Putin met each other at the APEC summit in Peru and talks about the partnership between the two countries. The president also mentioned that Russia is will to sell their assault rifles in the Philippines.
The anti-illegal drug campaign of Philipplines president, Duterte supported by Russian Amb(removed)ador to Philipplines is very essential to human. Because this campaign would hopefully panacea to curtail its effect in the Philipplines.