Quick, name the prominent political figure who recommends rewarding people who kill drug dealers. No, it’s not 2016 U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. Actually, this political figure is Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines.

As outrageous as it sounds, Duterte proposed this solution to fighting drugs during his 2016 presidential campaign. (Apparently the United States is not the only country who has presidential candidates who make outrageous claims during campaign season.)

Duterte’s comments sparked other talk about murder, this time about killing Duterte himself. Not surprisingly, Filipino drug lords did not agree with Duterte’s proposal to kill drug dealers and addicts (their customers). As of June, 2016, the drug lords have allegedly raised more than $400,000 to assassinate Duterte. Duterte’s stance on addicts themselves is equally aggressive. He does not believe that rehabilitation from drugs is possible and has threatened to kill addicts.

It seems that people are taking Duterte’s comments seriously. The Los Angeles Times reports that since Duterte took office in 2016, Filipinos have killed more than 3,500 drug dealers and drug addicts. The police are behind some of the killings, and so are some vigilantes.

Filipino authorities have arrested many drug addicts. Many addicts have also turned themselves into the police, because they fear for their lives. The sheer numbers of people involved in this ongoing incident have burdened courts and jails in the Philippines.

Addiction is a problem pretty much everywhere in the world, but it’s good that other politicians don’t seem to be treating drug dealing and drug addiction the same way as Duterte. As you probably know, the United States offers a huge variety of rehab facilities and recovery programs. While there are still unfortunate stigmas surrounding substance use disorder, it is possible to admit addictions and find help in the United States without a fear of bodily harm. One wishes this was true throughout the world.