'I will include you among them'
Human rights campaigners expressed shock and defiance yesterday after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kill them for hindering his bloody war on drugs.
Duterte issued his warning on Monday as the death toll from his controversial crackdown climbed above 4,800, or roughly an average of 30 deaths a day since it began five months ago.
"The human rights (defenders) say I kill. If I say: 'Okay, I'll stop'. They (drug users) will multiply," Duterte said.
"When harvest time comes, there will be more of them who will die. Then I will include you among them because you let them multiply," he added.
Amnesty International Philippines was among a range of groups to speak out against the comments, saying it was "appalled".
The National Alliance against Killings Philippines, a newly formed coalition of rights groups, said it took the threat very seriously and called on Duterte to revoke it.
Duterte won presidential elections in May after pledging to kill tens of thousands of drug suspects, warning that otherwise the Philippines would turn into a narco-state.
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