The killing of Tanauan City mayor Antonio Halili, like the thousands of killings in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, demands immediate and thorough investigation by Philippine authorities. While we did not agree with Mayor Halili’s method of dealing with crime and illegal drugs in his city, his murder is condemnable. He may have deprived many Tanauan residents of due process, but that doesn’t mean he should be deprived of it, too.
We reiterate our call for an end to the culture of impunity in the Philippines where thousands have been killed in extrajudicial killings of criminal suspects, activists, members of indigenous tribes, journalists, priests and politicians like Mayor Halili. The only way that can happen is if perpetrators—including Mayor Halili’s killers—are investigated, arrested, charged and tried in a court of law.
CARLOS CONDE, researcher, Human Rights Watch