Samsudin Dimaukom, the mayor of a Philippine town, who had been publicly named by President Rodrigo Duterte as being involved in the illegal drug trade, was gunned down by police in a gunfight Friday.
The police had reportedly received a tip that Dimaukom’s group was scheduled to deliver a significant amount of methamphetamine to the province.
Meth, colloquially known as shabu in the Philippines, is cheap and easily accessible for poor Filipinos. The drug is the focus of the government’s crackdown on drugs because of its widespread use.
Duterte, the former mayor of Davao City, won the presidential election in May on a platform of pledging to rid the Philippines of its drug problem. Though welcomed by many in the country, his approach, which involves killing thousands of people outside of the law, has drawn criticism from Western nations and activist groups in the Philippines. Children and innocent people have also been killed in the campaign, but he has called them “collateral damage” and said, “If it involves human rights, I don’t give a shit.”
Dimaukom and his wife were part of Duterte’s “narco list,” which includes names of officials purportedly linked to the illegal drug trade. They surrendered themselves in August for fear of being targeted, but denied the drug allegations.
Known in Maguindanao as “Mayor Pink,” Dimaukom had a bright pink mosque built on one of his properties. He said he chose the color because it’s “the color of love and peace,” and the mosque was built by Muslims and Christians as a sign of unity.
Maguindanao, situated on the island of Mindanao, has been racked by a long-running Muslim insurgency. Maguindanao was also the site of the Ampatuan Massacre of 2009, in which 58 people, including 32 journalists, were killed.
If those in charge have evidence that people are illegally dealing in drugs,drugs that are destroying neighborhoods and th e y the dealers know the police have been ordered to shot them they’d better stop dealing drugs. We in America have spent billions trying to rid our country of illegal drugs with no success. Maybe the Philippine president,s way will rid their country of drugs. What I know for sure those in authority have authority from God to use His wrath against evil doers.