Activists want Apple to remove iOS games based on the Philippines brutal and violent war on drugs

A group called the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD), representing 131 organizations from numerous countries, has issued an open letter to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook urging the company to pull a number of games and apps from the App Store that portray or glorify Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte and his national police chief, Ronaldo “Bato” dela Rosa, brutal war on drug use and sales in the country, reports Reuters. Since 2016 thousands of Filipinos have been killed in Duterte’s crackdowns.

Human rights organizations report that state-sponsored executions of those with drugs-related offenses are being conducted. The letter points out games including “Fighting Crime 2”, “Duterte knows Kung Fu”, “Duterte Running Man Challenge”, “Tsip Bato” and “Duterte Vs Zombies” and said “These games valorise and normalise the emerging tyranny of Duterte’s presidency and his government’s disregard for human rights principles.”

An Open Letter to Apple CEO @tim_cook – Immediately remove apps that are promoting #WarOnDrugs in the #Philippines. https://t.co/pRpLbe65uF http://pic.twitter.com/lYBZj9fqPO

— ANPUD (@WE_ARE_ANPUD) October 11, 2017

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