Philippine police have been ordered by their president to rejoin the country's ongoing war on drugs.
Rodrigo Duterte's instructions "to resume providing active support" to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency indicate an about-face on his previous decisions related to the fight against narcotics.
On October 10, Duterte removed police from this fight amid criticism from rights activists and UN officials, who referred to thousands of drug suspects killed during a national anti-drug campaign.
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The subsequent weeks have seen "a notable resurgence in illegal drugs activities and crimes," media reports cited presidential spokesperson Harry Roque as saying.
Update on the real numbers in the Philippines’ campaign against illegal drugs #Duterte #Time100 #Narcos (ctto @pnagovph) pic.twitter.com/cwHgLjlKX4
— Chris30 (@xsirhc30x) 3 декабря 2017 г.
The 160,000-strong police force in the Philippines apparently dwarfs the country's ant-drug agency, which currently numbers about 2,000 officers.
The country's anti-drug campaign kicked off on May 9, 2016 when Duterte won the presidential elections.
READ MORE: Thousands Protest Duterte's Drug War, Arrest of Senator, in Manila
The campaign was first suspended in January after several police officers allegedly used the campaign as a cover to kidnap a South Korean businessman and extort money from his family.
These are the politicians who know nothing except politicking. They absolutely knew the problem of illegal drugs in the Philippines but they themselves did’t do anything to help the govt in solving the problem.
— BATMIN (@wilbatu) 26 ноября 2017 г.
Methamphetamines and marijuana remain the most widely-used illegal drugs in the Philippines, where the authorities are also seriously concerned about the illegal use of ephedrine and methylenedioxy methamphetamine.
