MANILA, Philippines – Want the extrajudicial killings to stop? Drug pushers and drug lords should stop their trade, said President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Maraming patayan daw, may salvage, extrajudicial killings. Gusto niyo mahinto ito? Simple lang. Hinto kayong lahat mga durugista,” he said on Monday, December 12, during the oath-taking of People’s National Movement for Federalism officers at the Palace.

(There are supposedly a lot of killings, salvaging, extrajudicial killings. You want them to stop? It’s simple. You drug personalities should stop.)

If drug pushers and drug lords comply with his demand, blood may not be shed this holiday season.

“Stop it and there will be a peaceful New Year and Christmas. Huminto lang kayo. ‘Pag huminto kayo, wala kayong maririnig na reaction sa akin,” said the President.

 (Just stop it. If you stop it, you won’t hear any reaction from me.)

In a speech earlier that day, Duterte gave his strongest statement against vigilante-style killings, warning abusive policemen and soldiers they would face the barrel of his gun.

The previous weekend, activists all over the country protested the spate of killings linked to the Duterte administration’s drug war.

Senator Leila de Lima, one of Duterte’s fiercest critics, earlier dubbed him “the father of all extrajudicial killings” and said he was a “murderer.”

Senator Panfilo Lacson has also called on the Philippine National Police to create a task force to probe extrajudicial killings.

More than 5,900 deaths have been linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign since July 1.

Of this figure, around 2,000 have been killed in police operations, while the rest are victims of extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings. – Rappler.com