War on Drugs in the Philippines (2016 - 2022)

by Sarah Jody Siquig Castañeto

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on March 11 by the International Criminal Court (ICC), following his visit to Hong Kong the previous week. The ICC issued the warrant on charges of crimes against humanity according to a statement from the Office of the Prosecutor.

Duterte is held responsible for the deaths of thousands of Filipinos, including children, during his administration’s anti-drug campaign—commonly known as the “War on Drugs.” In 2022, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency stated the official death toll at 6,248. However, estimates from the University of the Philippines Diliman’s Department of Political Science suggests the actual number of victims could range from 12,000 to 30,000.

This dataset examines civilian death counts across the country, sourced on news reports from both local and national news outlets during Duterte’s presidential term.

Questions to answer:

1. How many suspected and accused drug users and/or pushers were killed in each province in the Philippines (2016-2022)?
2. How many civilians were killed by state forces (PNP, Philippine Government, and MFP), Vigilantes, and Unknown Vigilantes?
3. What can be observed in the types of conflict-related deaths in 2016 versus 2022?

Data Sources

1. The data on civilian killings and other forms of conflict during former President Duterte’s administration is sourced from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). ACLED is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and mapping various types of crises worldwide.
   • For this specific dataset, the recorded events are sourced from a range of Philippine news media outlets.
2. The provincial map data of the Philippines is sourced from GitHub, which provides various administrative levels—including town-specific, provincial, and regional maps.

Summary of Findings

Metro Manila has the highest number of drug-related killings, becoming one of the epicenters of violence

Top 10 provinces with the highest death toll during the drug war

Metro Manila recorded the highest number of drug-related killings during the six-year drug war, with a total of 2,595 deaths, according to ACLED’s dataset. This figure is more than double that of the neighboring province, Bulacan, which reported 1,147 deaths. Other provinces with high death tolls include Cebu, with 631 reported deaths—making it the only province in the top 10 located in the Visayas region.

As shown in the heat map, there is a significant concentration of deaths in Metro Manila, marked as the only black-colored province. These areas became epicenters of anti-drug violence, likely due to the region’s dense population, heightened media visibility, and centralized police enforcement operations.

Note: Some provinces may not have any data reports in ACLED’s dataset, which explains why some provinces are in gray-colored spaced. The actual number of deaths may be higher than the current estimate of dataset, which is around over 8,500.

Civilian killings are significantly high during its early phase, with the death toll declining each year after two years

Total number of civilian killings by perpetrator (state forces, anti-drug vigilantes, and others)

In the early phase of the drug war, particularly in 2016 and 2017, the death toll reached its peak, with more than 3,000 and 2,000 deaths respectively. Killings were largely carried out by state forces and anti-drug vigilantes, though the number of vigilante-related deaths declined in the following years. After 2018, the numbers dropped sharply, with fewer than 1,000 deaths recorded annually.

During this period, news outlets reported on the killings almost everyday Most of the images published and broadcasted showed victims lying in the streets with their faces covered—many of whom lived in the slums of Metro Manila. The vigilante-style executions left families unable to properly mourn their loved ones, with justice often denied due to the lack of due process.

Here are some photo archives documenting the bloody War on Drugs in the Philippines. Check it on AP News and the Permanent Court of International Justice.

Violence against Civilians far outnumbers any other type of conflict in 2016 and 2022

Comparison of the type of conflicts behind the killings that occurred in 2016 and 2022

From June 30, 2016 until the end of that year, a total of 2,176 cases of violence against civilians were recorded. This was followed by deaths in battles (52), strategic developments (25), and protests (8). In comparison, conflict-related deaths declined sharply by 2022.

Violence against civilians remained the leading cause of conflict-related deaths in 2022, and it saw a 97% decrease compared to the onset of the drug war. Other conflict types—such as battles and strategic developments—also showed significant drops, with 17 and 15 deaths recorded, respectively. No deaths were reported from protests or explosions.

Note: It is important to recognize that other civilians—such as journalists and activists—were also killed during this period, regardless of whether they were suspected drug users or pushers.