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Agence France-Presse

The new top police commander of the Philippines pledged on Friday to keep up President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug war despite fresh international condemnation over the killings.
Director General Oscar Albayalde, who was sworn in Thursday, will now lead the narcotics crackdown that has killed thousands since Duterte came to power just under two years ago.
“How to sustain the drug war? In order to sustain it, we will not change anything,” Albayalde told reporters at his first press conference as commander.
He took over from Ronaldo Dela Rosa, who retired with hero’s honours this week after helping Duterte launch the crackdown.

“Why would we stop a programme that is very effective?” Albayalde added, citing “very good momentum and gains”.
Police on Friday announced another 13 alleged drug suspects were killed in a sweep that also led to the arrest of 58 people.
Albayalde’s comments came as the Philippines rejected a European Union Parliament resolution voted on Thursday that criticised the crackdown, the latest international condemnation of it.
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The EU lawmakers called “on the government of the Philippines to put an immediate end to the extrajudicial killings in the pretext of a ‘war on drugs’”.
It also claimed there were “credible reports to the effect that the Philippine police force is falsifying evidence to justify extrajudicial killings”.
Police say the campaign has killed around 4,100 people, but rights groups claim the toll is higher.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday denounced the EU parliamentary resolution as “interference” in Manila’s internal affairs, describing it as “biased” and “based on wrong information”.
Duterte last month pulled his country from the International Criminal Court after The Hague-based body’s chief prosecutor launched an initial examination into allegations lodged against the president over his drug war.
He also threatened to arrest the chief ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, if she tried to enter the Philippines to pursue her investigation.
On Sunday the Philippines deported EU politician Giacomo Filibeck, who has previously criticised Duterte because of the crackdown.


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Rodrigo Duterte

New Philippine police chief vows to continue drug war

New chief of the Philippine National Police Director-General Oscar Albayalde receives his four-star rank from Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Photo: AP

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, center, looks on as the new chief of the Philippine National Police Director-General Oscar Albayalde, right, and outgoing chief General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, salute at each other during turnover-of-command ceremony Thursday, April 19, 2018 at Camp Crame in suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. Duterte, in his address, said he will not stop his so-called war on drugs until his last day in office. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

epaselect epa06679400 Filipino anti-riot police march during the change of command ceremony inside Camp Crame in Quezon city, east of Manila, Philippines,19 April 2018. According to news reports, Oscar Albayalde replaced Ronald dela Rosa as the chief of the Philippine National Police and the head of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, which has until now killed thousands in the country. Albayalde, who was the Metro Manila police chief, promised in a televised speech to continue the legacy of his predecessor and to reform the police department. Under Dela Rosa, the police allegedly killed over 4,100 suspects for resisting detention, arrested over 100,000, while another 1.3 million Filipinos voluntarily surrendered during a period when crime rate in the country also dropped 50 percent, according to official data. EPA-EFE/FRANCIS R. MALASIG

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Oscar Albayalde asked the media: ‘Why would we stop a programme that is very effective?’


The Philippines

New Philippine police chief vows to continue drug war

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Oscar Albayalde asked the media: ‘Why would we stop a programme that is very effective?’

Oscar Albayalde asked the media: ‘Why would we stop a programme that is very effective?’