Nearly 1,800 Killed in Philippine Drug War, Top Police Official Tells Senators

1.MANILA - Killings by the police and vigilantes in thePhilippines’ war on drugs have soared to nearly 1,800 in the seven weeks since President Rodrigo Duterte wassworn into office, the nation’s top police official told a Senate hearing on Monday.
2.Under Mr. Duterte, who campaigned on a pledge to rid the country of drug dealers, 712 suspects have been killed in police operations, National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa said.
3.Vigilante killings have totaled 1,067 during the same period, he said, although it was unclear how many were directly related to the illegal drug trade.
4.The numbers represent a huge increase over those cited by the police last week, when they put the total at more than 800 since Mr. Duterte’s election on May 9. 5.The new figures do not include killings that occurred between the election and his inauguration on June 30.