Governing through Killings: The War on Drugs in the Philippines

David T. Johnson, Jon Fernquest | Asian Journal of Law and Society

“This article focuses on the war on drugs in the Philippines in order to explore issues related to extra-judicial killings, which remains common in many countries that have abolished the death penalty and in many more that retain it but seldom carry out judicial executions. […] At a time when democracy is in retreat in many parts of the world, this case illustrates how popular harsh punishment can be in states that have failed to meet their citizens’ hopes for freedom, economic growth, and security.”