Drug peddlers killed as ‘Duterte Harry’ warns of bloody presidency to eradicate crime

The bodies of dozens of suspected drug peddlers have turned up in the Philippines in recent weeks, providing an eerie backdrop to the swearing-in yesterday of Rodrigo Duterte, who warns of a bloody presidency in his bid to eradicate crime.

Some of the dead were killed in gunfights with police; others mysteriously turned up on the street. One was dumped with a sign that read: “Don’t follow me or you’ll die next.”

The numbers of bodies have spiked since Duterte swept the May 9 elections on promises to wipe out crime and corruption within six months.