Philippine drug war

A campaign against illegal drugs launched under Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte in 2016. Police operations and killings, including deaths alleged to be extrajudicial, made it internationally controversial.

Oplan Tokhang: A Philippine police operation name derived from words meaning to knock and plead, associated with visits to suspected drug users and sellers. It became the campaign’s signature doorstep approach, though operations also involved arrests and lethal force.
Extrajudicial killing: A killing by state agents or with their acquiescence that occurs without judicial process. The term describes the central allegation against state actors in many campaign-related deaths.
Rodrigo Duterte: A Philippine politician who served as president from 2016 to 2022 after previously serving as mayor of Davao City. He made the anti-drug campaign a defining policy and used forceful rhetoric in support of it.
Harm reduction: Policies and practices that reduce health and social harms associated with drug use without requiring abstinence. It offers a public-health approach unlike the campaign’s emphasis on coercive enforcement.
Kian delos Santos: A 17-year-old Filipino boy killed by police in Caloocan City in August 2017. His death and the conviction of three officers became a rare high-profile accountability case.
Philippine National Police: The national police force responsible for law enforcement in the Philippines. Its officers carried out most official anti-drug operations and faced scrutiny over alleged killings.
International Criminal Court investigation in the Philippines: An International Criminal Court investigation into alleged crimes against humanity connected to killings in the Philippines. The court examined whether campaign-related killings formed part of a systematic attack on civilians.
Ronald dela Rosa: A Philippine police official and politician who served as national police chief from 2016 to 2018. He led the police during the campaign’s early and most intensive period.
Drug decriminalization: The removal of criminal penalties for some drug-related conduct, often possession for personal use. It contrasts with treating drug involvement primarily as a target for police operations.
Jovelyn Galleno: A Filipino woman whose 2017 killing in Caloocan was reported as part of the anti-drug campaign’s violence. Her case drew attention to the exposure of women and other civilians to lethal operations.

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Robin PadillaRelated: Padilla’s political career has been associated with support for Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.