Duterte killings defended as UN seeks probe

The Philippines said Wednesday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s killing of three people in the 1980s was part of a police operation, after the United Nations rights chief urged Manila to investigate him for murder. In several speeches last week, Duterte recounted how in 1988, early in the first of his several terms as mayor of […]

The Philippines said Wednesday that President Rodrigo Duterte’s killing of three people in the 1980s was part of a police operation, after the United Nations rights chief urged Manila to investigate him for murder.
In several speeches last week, Duterte recounted how in 1988, early in the first of his several terms as mayor of the southern city of Davao, he and local police ambushed and killed three suspected kidnappers.
UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in a statement Tuesday that Duterte’s killings, by his own admission, “clearly constitute murder” and Philippine judicial authorities must launch a murder invest-igation. Duterte spokesman Ernesto Abella said Wednesday Zeid’s comments were nothing more than “his (Zeid’s) opinion”.
“Again, let me just remind one and all, that the incident referred to by the president was actually covered by media and it was (a) legitimate police action,” Abella added.