Duterte apologizes for death of 4 Chinese in drug ops

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has apologized for the death of four Chinese citizens in an anti-narcotics operation in Candelaria, Zambales on Tuesday.

”I’m sorry for the loss of lives. Hindi natin ginusto yan. But I just hope that the countries from where these guys came from should understand that we have laws to follow,” Duterte said in a taped public address aired yesterday.

The President commended law enforcement agencies led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Philippine National Police for the seizure of around 500 kilos of shabu estimated to be worth P3.4 billion during the operation.

“There were fatalities. We didn’t want this to happen, but they were armed and I tell you that big-time (drug syndicates) have arms,” Duterte said.

“Youhua Xu is one of the biggest shabu importers in the Philippines. He was a member of a transnational drug trafficking organization,” Duterte said, referring to one of the slain suspects. “They were killed because they fought back, that’s what happened.”

The President said the fatalities were members of a drug ring that operates not only in the Philippines but in the entire Southeast Asia. He said the group is likely connected with the Sinaloa drug cartel in Mexico.

Over 6,000 suspects have been killed in Duterte’s drug war since July 2016 based on government data.

However, human rights groups said the number of those slain could be several times higher.