President Duterte’s Son Cleared of Drug Trafficking, as Extrajudicial Killings Continue

As the extrajudicial killing of people for alleged drug offences continues in the Philippines, the president’s son has been cleared of trafficking - following a formal investigation. Paolo Duterte, son of leader Rodrigo Duterte, had been accused of involvement in the attempted importation of 602kg of methamphetamine (often referred to as “shabu”) into the Philippines from China in 2017. The haul, valued by the state at $125million, was found in a shipment of printing cylinders. The president’s son-in-law was also alleged to be involved in the plot, and has also been cleared of involvement.