Filipino mayor, 9 others killed after shootout with anti-drug officers

A mayor and nine others were killed early Friday in the Philippines after a gun battle broke out between the men and anti-narcotics officers, police say.

President Rodrigo Duterte has famously declared he would be "happy to slaughter" all drug addicts, and since taking office June 30, police estimate that more than 3,600 suspected drug dealers and addicts have been killed. Police say that Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan and nine others were approaching a checkpoint in North Cotabato province when they opened fire from three cars. Superintendent Bernard Tayong told The Associated Press that Duterte had named Dimaukom as one of several politicians he suspected was involved in illegal drugs.

In other Duterte news, the profanity-loving president announced Thursday in his hometown that he'd made a promise to God that he would stop cursing. Duterte — who called Pope Francis a "son of a bitch" and told President Obama to "go to hell" — said he was flying home from a trip to Japan when he heard a voice say, "'If you don't stop epithets, I will bring this plane down now.' And I said, 'Who is this?' So, of course, it's God." Duterte said he's stopping the swearing cold turkey because a "promise to God is a promise to the Filipino people," but when the crowd began to applaud, he warned, "Don't clap too much or else this may get derailed."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up