ICC launches crimes against humanity inquiry into Duterte's war on drugs Read moreThe equipment purchased by Duterte’s government included IMSI-Catchers, which are used to eavesdrop on telephone conversations, and surveillance tools to monitor internet activity. Duterte has admitted authorising the wiretapping of at least two mayors whom he accused of being “narcopoliticians”, including the Ozamiz city mayor, Reynaldo Parojinog. The UK government has also sold spyware to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain and Egypt. By July 2016, when the kit was sold, Duterte had already made several brazen statements about his intention to use all means necessary to brutally crack down on anyone associated with drugs. Since Duterte became president, at least 12,000 people have died as part of the war on drugs, with many of the killings carried out by police officers.

Source: The Guardian February 21, 2018 06:00 UTC