“When Rodrigo Duterte was elected President of the Philippines earlier this year, it was largely on campaign based on waging a war on drug criminals. He was credited with sanctioning the death squads that killed more than 1000 people in Davao City where he was mayor. Since he took power a month ago, there have already been more that 400 extra judicial killings of apparent drug dealers and users. The victims are executed and left with a cardboard sign identifying them as a drug dealer. Matthew Thompson is a journalist, author and academic who has spent a lot of time in the Philippines, including in Mindanao where Duterte was mayor.”