Extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the Philippines have continued since 2016 when President Rodrigo Duterte stepped into office. Duterte declared a war on drugs with the goal of eliminating all suspicious "drug personalities" in the Philippines. With this goal, however, comes the cost of killing innocent people (wrong suspects, innocent bystanders, families, children, etc.), killings he pushes aside as inevitable "collateral damage" to the communities.

These killings are done by the police who carry out operations to eliminate suspects determined by the government. According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, these operations have led to nearly 4,948 killings of suspects not including "collateral" killings and the thousands of other killings performed by unidentified gunmen. With the other killings taken into account, there has been an estimated 22,983 killings in the Philippines since the beginning of Duterte's term. Unfortunately, Duterte has stated that he will continue this anti-drug campaign until the end of his term in 2022.

A big propellant of the current drug war is the involvement of current and past government officials in the drug market. This has not only corrupted the government of the Philippines but also allowed for illegal drugs to seep deeper and deeper into the civilian communities of the Philippines. This is one reason why some choose to support Duterte's campaign that seemingly promises to undo damage from the past, but I (and many others) do not believe that the violent path he's taken is the answer.

As a Filipino immigrant, it pains me to hear about the violence that has persisted in my home country leading to the deaths of many innocent Filipinos. Living in the US also makes it more difficult to stay updated on external issues, as well as to find organizations that could proactively advocate and fight for the basic human rights of my people.

It would mean a lot if you took the time to read up on the issue and bring this to the attention of others. Here are some resources to get started:

• https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/philippines
• https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/11/12/philippine-vice-president-could-score-drug-war-win
• https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2129538/how-philippines-war-drugs-has-become-war-poor
• https://www.rappler.com/nation/242430-extrajudicial-killing-victim-marikina-burial-community-braces-for-war

By signing this petition, you agree to becoming more aware and helping make others aware of the issue and to stand up for the human rights of the Filipino people.