have been killed in anti-drug operations since 2016, 25% higher than the government’s count, even by a conservative estimate. This estimate nevertheless includes hundreds more civilian deaths than the government’s official count, and marks a higher count of victims than other data collection efforts to date. ACLED data therefore provide a robust but necessarily conservative estimate of the impact of the drug war on Philippine civilians. The estimate based on ACLED data is lower because incidents in which drug suspects were armed, based on reports of police injuries, are not included in this civilian fatality count while such victims may meet the ICC’s legal definition of a ‘civilian,’ they are not considered ‘civilians’ per ACLED methodology.
While the DOJ’s plan to review these killings is a welcome step for many victims’ families, analysis of new ACLED data finds that the civilian toll of the war on drugs, perpetrated by the state and its supporters, is much higher than the official figures suggest: at least 7,742 Philippine civilians 1 In the ICC’s request for an investigation, it noted a broader range of between 12,000 and 30,000 civilian fatalities in connection with the war on drugs, citing estimates by NGOs and local media reports. Many officers, however, have already been absolved of any wrongdoing in those incidents during internal police investigations. The government admits that over 6,000 killings have occurred during police operations in association with the drug war. His comments came as the judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) approved a formal investigation into possible crimes against humanity committed under his leadership ( Reuters, 15 September 2021 ).
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Following the announcement, President Rodrigo Duterte stated his admission of full responsibility for the drug war, though “maintained he will never be tried by an international court” ( Reuters, 21 October 2021 ). While t he 52 deaths under investigation represent a very small fraction of drug war fatalities, the justice minister announced last month that the DOJ will now look into thousands of other killings that have resulted from anti-drug operations ( Reuters, 20 October 2021 ). This marks a rare admission by the Philippine state that it may be complicit in abuses stemming from the war on drugs - which continues to rage on. Last month, the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) completed a review into 52 deaths during police anti-drug operations ( Manila Bulletin, 3 October 2021 ), concluding that criminal charges ought to be levied against 154 police officers ( Reuters, 4 October 2021 ).
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