Philippines President Calls Out Chinese Drug Lords by Name, Vows: ‘You Will Die’

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has warned imprisoned Chinese drug lords — and those still at large who have since left the Philippines — not to continue to disturb the peace in his nation, warning them that, should they remain active in the drug trade, “you will die.”

Duterte, who won the presidency on a law and order campaign and eradicated drug crime as mayor of southern Davao city for two decades, named three major known drug traffickers operating in the country during a televised speech. The three — Peter Co, Peter Lim, and Herbert Colangco — are of Chinese origin, and only Lim is currently not in prison.

“Peter Co, do not escape from prison. You will die. Colangco, never try to go out of prison. You will die,” he announced. To Lim, he said, “Better tell him not to come back to the Philippines anymore. The moment he steps out of the plane, he will die.”

According to the regional news outlet Rappler, the two imprisoned drug traffickers are believed to still be active, running their business from within prison. High-profile drug lords are often able to bribe police officers to allow the practice to go on.

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