Philippines' Duterte wants U.S. help in fighting drugs, blames triads

[TomSea]

Philippines' Duterte wants U.S. help in fighting drugs, blames triads

Reuters Staff

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte urged the United States on Tuesday to help control drugs smuggling, blaming Taiwan and Hong Kong-based criminal gangs for using his country as a shipping hub.

In a speech, he also said illegal drugs had funded the seizure by Islamist militants of large parts of the southern city of Marawi in May. More than 800 people have died in the conflict, which Duterte said was triggered by an attempt to arrest a drug personality, who he did not identify.

Continued: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-drugs-duterte/philippines-duterte-wants-u-s-help-in-fighting-drugs-blames-triads-idUSKCN1C12NJ