Even before he became president, Rodrigo Duterte’s administration has been somewhat synonymous with its crackdown on narcotics. It was the main point in most of his campaign rallies and is still one of the government’s main priorities today.
It’s so talked about, it even seeped into pop culture like mobile app games that many (understandably) see as problematic.
After sending a letter and petition to Apple CEO Tim Cook last month, requesting him to take down the games, Thailand-based Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD), announced on Monday that a number of the games — many of which feature gun violence, a much-decried hallmark of the crackdown — have been removed from Apple’s App Store.
“We did not receive a direct response from Mr. Cook or Apple Inc. however, most of the apps (games) no longer appear in the search result of app store,” AMPUD’s statement reads.
Games that were removed include Duterte Knows Kung Fu: Pinoy Crime Fighter, Duterte Running Man Challenge Game, Fighting Crime 2, and Tsip Bato: Ang Bumangga Giba, which roughly translates to “Chief Bato: Whoever Gets Hit Will Be Destroyed.”
Most of the games feature Duterte himself or supporters of the war on drugs like his running mate and current Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano and Philippine National Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa.
Tsip Bato: Ang Bumangga Giba and other similar games are still available in Android’s Google Play.
The game’s decription reads: “Cleanup the streets from criminals as Tsip Bato and El Presidente Du30! Patrol the roads and fight crime. Apprehend as many bad guys as you can while avoiding obstacles.”
Another game still available on Google Play is Duterte Fighting Crime 2, in which players “Help Duterte fight against the zombies! Get weapons for destruction, earn badges and teach them lesson (sic) to stop the crime!”
According to CNN Philippines, a total of 131 human rights groups, rehabilitation centers, and organizations representing drug users signed AMPUD’s petition.
Dela Rosa agrees with Apple’s decision to take down the games.
“[The games’] interpretation is wrong. The anti-drug operation is not about gun battles,” he told reporters yesterday.
Human rights groups reported that about 13,000 people have been killed by the so-called war on drugs. The government disputes this and said the number is closer to 3,000.
