Philippine army sets up task force to battle syndicates

MANILA: The Philippine army will create a “battalion size” task force to help the government’s anti-narcotics agency run after high-value targets in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, the country’s military chief said.

Duterte – who recently suspended the national police from the anti-narcotics campaign that has killed over 7,700 people in seven months – has ordered the military to play a role in his crackdown. He has said that he also wants to grant troops powers to arrest “scalawag” police.