UN Human Rights Chief Urges Probe Into Claim Philippine Leader Killed Three Men

Philippine authorities should investigate President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that he killed three people while serving as mayor of Davao, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The news came as Duterte told a group of business leaders last week that he personally patrolled the city on his motorcycle and killed "about three" people in the city of Davao, where he served as mayor between 1988 and 2006.

"Such acts directly contravene the rights enshrined in Article III of the Philippine Constitution," Zeid stated. "The killings described by President Duterte also violate international law, including the right to life, freedom from violence and force, due process and fair trial, equal protection before the law and innocence until proven guilty."

Duterte has initiated a war on drugs and crime, and has particularly taken a hardline against drug traffickers, saying they are a threat to the country and should be dealt with by any means necessary.

Zeid accused Duterte of inciting extrajudicial killings and encouraging an environment of impunity and violence.

According to reports, more than 6,100 people have been killed by police or vigilantes since Duterte took office on June 30.