POLICE IN THE PHILIPPINES HAVE KILLED 30
INDIVIDUALS WHO THEY DEEMED DRUG TRAFFICKERS, ALTHOUGH THESE
PEOPLE NEVER GOT A DAY IN COURT TO PROVE THAT THEY WEREN'T
GUILTY OF THE CRIMES THAT THE COPS ACCUSED THEM OF.
THESE 30 KILLINGS HAPPENED AFTER THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE
PHILIPPINES WAS SWORN IN, RODRIGO DUTERTE.
MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE HAVE DIED, SAID TO HAVE BEEN MOSTLY
SUSPECTED DRUG DEALERS, RAPISTS AND CAR THIEVES, IN STEPPED-UP
ANTI-CRIME POLICE OPERATIONS SINCE THE ELECTION ON MAY 9.
THE REASON WHY THE 30 KILLINGS IS RELEVANT IS BECAUSE
DUTERTE HAS BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT HIS SUPPORT FOR VIGILANTE
JUSTICE, AND HIS SUPPORT IN GOING AFTER DRUG KINGPINS,
OR DRUG TRAFFICKERS WITH ANY STRATEGY POSSIBLE.
HE DOESN'T CARE IF THERE IS DUE PROCESS OR IF THEY EVER SEE
A DAY IN COURT, HE WANTS THEM OFF THE STREETS.
THERE'S AN ISSUE WITH THAT BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT SOMEONE IS PROVEN GUILTY BEFORE THEIR LIFE IS TAKEN AWAY
FROM THEM OR BEFORE THEY SUFFER ANY CONSEQUENCES.
BUT RIGHT NOW COPS ARE SAYING, WELL THERE WAS A GUNFIGHT, AND
SO WE HAD TO KILL THEM AND IT IS WHAT IT IS.
THAT'S NOT VERY REASSURING.
THIS IS GOING TO BE AN INTERESTING CASE STUDY IN WHAT
VIOLENCE FROM THE STATE GETS TO, AND I'M SURE THAT I KNOW
THE ANSWER, SO BELIEVE ME IF I THOUGHT I KNEW IT I
WOULDN'T BE SHY ABOUT TELLING YOU.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT HE MURDERS ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT THEY GO, OH
OKAY, DON'T MESS WITH THE COPS THEY ARE THE BIGGEST GANG THERE
IS.
AND DRUG DEALING GOES DOWN FOR SOME TIME.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO END IT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
AND THE DEMAND.
SOMEHOW THE PRICE OF THE DRUGS WILL GO UP BECAUSE IT WILL
BE MORE RISKY TO SELL THEM, IT WILL GO MORE UNDERGROUND,
BUT SOMEHOW PEOPLE WILL GET THE DRUGS.
BUT IT MIGHT QUELL FOR SOME TIME, I DON'T KNOW.
OR WHAT HE COULD DO IS, VIOLENCE BEGETS VIOLENCE.
YES, YES.
YOU BASICALLY TOLD THE DRUG DEALERS, YOU BROUGHT A
KNIFE TO A GUNFIGHT, SO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO BRING?
A GUN.
AND THEN YOU WERE GOING TO BRING AN ASSAULT RIFLE AND THEY'RE
GOING TO BRING AN ASSAULT RIFLE, AND AROUND AND AROUND WE GO.
SO LET'S SEE, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO DEVOLVE TO
THAT RIGHT AWAY.
THERE'S A GREAT NUMBER OF FACTORS THAT MIGHT DECIDE
THAT, BUT IT MIGHT.
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU UNLEASH THAT KIND OF VIOLENCE.
IT'S REALLY INCREDIBLE HOW OFTEN WORLD LEADER IS JUST BASICALLY
NEGLECT AND IGNORE CASE STUDIES THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY.
WE'VE HAD THIS WAR ON DRUGS IN THE UNITED STATES FOR A
VERY LONG TIME AND IT HAS NOT SUCCEEDED.
IT HAS NOT BEEN AS VIOLENT AS WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN THE
PHILIPPINES RIGHT NOW, BUT IT DOESN'T WORK.
DOESN'T MATTER IF THE GOVERNMENT IS A SUPER AGGRESSIVE GOING
AFTER THESE DRUG DEALERS AND DRUG TRAFFICKERS, THEY WILL
FIND A WAY TO SELL THESE DRUGS.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO IS LEGALIZE AND REGULATE
IT TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE ADDICTED TO IT.
THESE ALLEGED DRUG DEALERS WERE SELLING METHAMPHETAMINE.
METHAMPHETAMINE OBVIOUSLY A VERY ADDICTING DRUG, AND THE
BEST YOU CAN DO IF YOU REALLY GENUINELY CARE ABOUT
HELPING YOUR CITIZENS, IS GIVE THEM TREATMENT AND LEGALIZE IT
SO THAT THEY DON'T RELY ON DRUG TRAFFICKERS TO GET THE DRUGS.
THIS WHOLE THING ABOUT VIGILANTE JUSTICE AND JUST KILLING PEOPLE
THAT YOU SUSPECT OF SELLING DRUGS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT CENK, I THINK IT'S UNFAIR TO DROP
PARALLELS BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND BRAZIL, BUT
LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN BRAZIL RIGHT NOW.
THE GOVERNMENT REALIZED, WE HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH DRUG
TRAFFICKERS, AND WITH THESE GANGS AND THESE FAVELAS, SO
LET'S GO AFTER THEM AGGRESSIVELY TO PREPARED FOR THE PICS.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENED?
BACKFIRED.
EXACTLY.
AND OF COURSE IN THIS CASE THEY ARE GOING TO SAY, WE
WERE INNOCENT, THE DRUG GUYS FIRED AT US 1ST.
BUT YOU SAID IN YOUR CAMPAIGN THAT YOU WOULD KILL THEM,
SO NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN RIGHT AFTER YOU WIN A LOT OF THEM
AND UP DEAD, SO YOU'LL EXCUSE US IF WE'RE A LITTLE INCREDULOUS
ABOUT YOUR THEORY THAT YOU SHOT FIRST ñ THAT THEY SHOT 1ST.
I'M SURE IN SOME CASES THEY DID, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF
SHOOTING GOING FORWARD, LET'S JUST HOPE IT DOESN'T DEVOLVE
INTO TOTAL CHAOS.