Palace hits Amnesty International for 'demonizing' PDEA, says drug war to continue

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Saturday slammed the London-based rights group Amnesty International for “demonizing” the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency—the anti-narcotics body recently designated as “sole agency” in charge of the government’s bloody drug war.

On Friday, James Gomez, AI’s international director of southeast Asia and the Pacific, said the decision to put PDEA in charge of the narcotics crackdown by sidelining the police and other agencies would have little "meaningful" impact and “may be nothing but a short-term PR move.”

READ: Duterte: PDEA now 'sole agency' in charge of drug war l Amnesty International: PDEA as lead drug war agency a 'PR' move

Responding to the AI official’s comments, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella hit the international human rights watchdog for “vilifying” PDEA.

Abella also said PDEA is now the new target of AI's "ire and vilification" after the group previously called out alleged police abuse in the continuing crackdown on illegal drugs.

“PDEA, which has been recently assigned by President Rodrigo Duterte as the sole agency in charge of the government's anti-illegal drug campaign, is now being demonized by Amnesty International,” Abella said.

“While Amnesty International is known to be disparaging of the frontline role of the Philippine National Police in the anti-illegal drug campaign, now it sees the relief of the agency as a mere public relations stunt,” he added.

Duterte—who easily won the race to Malacañang last year on a promise to use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs—has stoked international alarm for activating his fierce anti-drug campaign.

Human rights watchdogs say most of the fatalities are extrajudicial killings committed by cops and unknown assailants—a claim that the government has vehemently denied by insisting that police are only killing in self-defense while gangsters are silencing potential witnesses.

Duterte issued the order to PDEA a few days after his latest net satisfaction score suffered from its biggest fall since he became president. Among the events in the news when the survey was conducted was the death of minors in the hands of Caloocan City cops that triggered simmering public anger.

READ: SWS president: Duterte ratings dip normal but faster than average

In the same statement on Saturday, Abella said the government’s war on drugs will continue despite condemnations at home and abroad.

“We are hopeful that operations of this agency will not be jeopardized by the interference of outside agencies that fail to appreciate our desire, not for a drug-tolerant, but drug-free nation,” the Palace spokesman said.

READ: Duterte expects gov't to lose, rights groups to win after sidelining police

To recall, the AI and Human Rights Watch, a New York-based rights campaigner, have both released early this year excoriating reports on the government's war on drugs that detailed police shortcuts and payments to kill drug suspects.

Duterte in response blasted these international groups and governments for what he saw as "interference."

Police data show 3,850 have "died in police operations," suggesting these are drug suspects who engaged arresting officers in shootouts. Meanwhile, there are 2,290 "deaths under investigation," which have already been determined to be "drug-related."