At least 1,800 people have been killed by the Philippine Police in the past few weeks in their drive against drugs in the country, reported Reuters. President Rodrigo Duterte launched a war on narcotics after he was elected to the top post on June 30.

On the same day, the director general of the national police, Ronald dela Rosa, said investigators suspect the involvement of around 300 police officers in the drug trade. According to the news agency, he informed a senate committee looking into the matter that the country does not have any specific rule that says drug users should be killed.

On Monday, the police chief told the panel that as many as 712 drugs traffickers have been killed since the drive was launched on July 1. He added that the force was probing 1,067 drug-related killings. However, he did not divulge further details. The United States also reacted to reports on the killings. US State Department spokesperson Mark Toner urged the newly formed government to make sure that its law enforcement agencies do not flout human rights norms during their raids.

Toner said the Obama government was "deeply concerned" about the situation. He said, "We continue to make clear to the Philippines government ... our concern about human rights, extrajudicial killings, but we are also committed to our bilateral relationship and strengthening that bilateral relationship."

This comes only two days after Duterte criticised the United Nations for condemning the recent killings in the country. The president also said the country might leave the UN and form a new global forum with other countries, such as China. However, on Monday, the country's foreign minister Perfecto Yasay said Philippines will not exit the UN like the president suggested. "We are committed to the UN despite our numerous frustrations and disappointments with the international agency," he said.