Leni Robredo (left) and Rodrigo Duterte are fierce political rivals EPA
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sacked “drug czar” Leni Robredo, just weeks after her appointment.
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Ms Robredo, the country’s vice-president, is an outspoken critic of Mr Duterte’s controversial war on drugs.
After being appointed, she said she was sceptical about the president’s motives but wanted to seize the chance to “fix the campaign against illegal drugs”.
After taking her post as co-chair of the country’s Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) earlier this month, she had pledged to use her powers to stop the killing of innocent people and hold authorities to account.
Ms Robredo – who is seen as Mr Duterte’s main political rival – is yet to publicly comment on her firing.
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The president called on members of the public to kill drug addicts and dealers, and said he would offer a bounty to police for killing suspected users and sellers of narcotics.
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Human rights groups allege that many of the killings amount to summary executions. Both the UN and the International Criminal Court are examining allegations of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances.
Navy Vet
Article URL : https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50537574