The Philippine army will establish a battalion-sized task force to help the government’s anti-narcotics agencies track down high-level targets in the war on drugs launched by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Source: Reuters)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Philippine armywill establish a battalion-sized task force to help the government’santi-narcotics agencies track down high-level targets in the war on drugslaunched by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief GeneralEduardo Ano told reporters in Baguio city that the military is ready tocooperate with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Up to 5,000 soldiers could be mobilised for thetask force, or only 500 depending on the threat, he said.
However, he ruled out a bloody operation by thetask force, unlike some raids conducted by the police.
Cracking down on crime is one of Duterte’spriorities, with drug crimes a key focus since he took office last year.
Statistics showed that the national police have killedmore than 7,700 people in the anti-narcotics campaign over the past sevenmonths.-VNA
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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Source: Reuters) 
