Number of drug-related killings in Philippines doubles to 1,800: police

Manila: The number of drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte took power in May and began his anti-narcotics war has doubled to about 1,800, police said on Monday.

Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa told a Senate committee investigating extrajudicial killings that 712 drug traffickers and users had been killed during police operations. Police were also investigating 1,067 drug-related killings outside police work, Dela Rosa said.

The United Nations (UN) has urged Manila to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings that have escalated since Duterte won the presidency on a promise to wipe out drugs.

Duterte railed against the United Nations saying he might leave the organisation and invite China and others to form a new one. Duterte on Friday denied that the government was responsible and in a middle-of-the-night news conference in his home town, Davao, said the deaths were not the work of the police and invited UN experts to investigate themselves.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay said Duterte's statement "is a statement expressing profound disappointment and frustration".

"We are committed to the UN despite our numerous frustrations with this international agency," Yasay told a news conference.