Duterte: I’d ‘Be Happy’ to Slaughter 3 Million Addicts

In a bizarre speech in Davao City on Friday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he’d “be happy” to wipe out three million drug addicts in the country. “There are three million drug addicts [in the Philippines]. I’d be happy to slaughter them,” Duterte told reporters, going on to compare himself to Adolf Hitler. “If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have…,” he said, pointing to himself. “You know my victims. I would like [them] to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition,” he said. Duterte’s rise to power in June was accompanied by promises to end crime and corruption in the country, though critics have warned that his unorthodox methods may end up unleashing chaos. This month, a man testified before the Philippine senate that Duterte had ordered the killing of about 1,000 alleged criminals during his time as mayor of Davao City. More than 3,100 people have been killed in extrajudicial violence since he took office on June 30—mostly alleged drug dealers and users, according to Reuters.