Police say not all 1,067 unexplained killings are drug-related

August 23, 2016 9:58 AM

Police Director-General Ronaldo dela Rosa said some of those killings had been the result of personal grudges or robbery

Philippines police say not all 1,067 unexplained killings are drug-related

The Philippines' national police chief said on Tuesday not all of the 1,067 unexplained killings being investigated during a crackdown on illegal drugs, which began seven weeks ago when President Rodrigo Duterte took power, were drug-related.

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Police Director-General Ronaldo dela Rosa said some of those killings had been the result of personal grudges or robbery, although most of them were still being investigated and could be drug-related.

"Not all deaths under investigation are drug-related," dela Rosa told a Senate inquiry on the extra-judicial killings.

The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said overnight it was "deeply concerned" by the reports of the killings and the State Department urged Duterte's government to abide by human rights norms.

Ben Bassey

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