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February 24, 2017

Philippines Police Arrest Senator Critical of Bloody Drug War
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In the Philippines, police arrested an opposition senator and fierce
critic of President Rodrigo Duterte today, accusing her of taking bribes
from drug dealers. Senator Leila de Lima says she's innocent of any
crime, and called her arrest retribution for her criticism of Duterte's
bloody war on drugs, which has seen police carry out thousands of
extrajudicial killings.

Senator Leila de Lima: "The truth will be out in the right time. If they
think they can silence me, if they think I can no longer fight for what
I'm fighting for, especially finding the truth behind the daily
killings, the other issues, the pressures and tyranny under Duterte's
regime, then it is my honor to get arrested because of what I'm fighting
for."

President Duterte has boasted about personally murdering drug dealers.
Last September, he compared himself favorably to Adolf Hitler, saying he
wanted to kill millions of drug addicts.


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