Apple Pulls App Store Games That Glorify Philippine President Duterte's Violent Drugs War

[MacRumors]

Apple has taken down games from its App Store that glorify the Philippine government's deadly drugs war, according to a regional organization supporting victims of illegal drugs (via The Philippine Star).

Last month, the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD) sent Apple CEO Tim Cook a letter demanding that the company remove several iOS games which it said valorized "the emerging tyranny of Duterte's presidency and his government's disregard for human rights principles".

Tsip Bato by Ranida Games​

The group named 131 organizations from several countries as supportive of the letter of complaint, with groups working on human rights, youth and drug policy reform among them.

In a statement posted on its website yesterday, ANPUD said that it never received a direct response from Cook, but the runner games that its letter accused of promoting murder, extrajudicial killings and violence appeared to have been removed as of Tuesday.

They include Duterte knows Kung Fu: Pinoy Crime Fighter, Duterte Running Man Challenge Game, Fighting Crime 2, and Tsip Bato: Ang Bumangga Giba!, all of which featured Duterte or Philippine National Police chief (Ronald) Bato dela Rosa shooting down criminals while evading obstacles.

Despite their removal from Apple's App Store, the games remain available for Android users to download from the Google Play store.

Police chief Ronald dela Rosa told the Philippine Star that the removal of the games was a good idea, and that the government's operation to tackle drug users was not about killing or the use of violence. His comments were made despite Duterte openly endorsing extrajudicial killings in his drugs war campaign.

"They made the wrong interpretation. Tokhang [the campaign] is not about shooting people," dela Rosa told reporters. Rather, he said, it involved policemen knocking on people's doors and urging suspects to stop illegal drug-related activities.

As least 7,000 suspected drug dealers and users were killed in the first six months of Duterte's crackdown, according to estimates from The Human Rights Watch group. Many of the killings are attributed to "unidentified gunmen".

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: Apple Pulls App Store Games That Glorify Philippine President Duterte's Violent Drugs War

 

[2010mini]

“.....they made the wrong interpretation...”



Wow...

 

[usarioclave]

As a note, Human Rights Watch has been known to inflate numbers to serve their agenda.

ABS-CBN has their own tracker, which is actually sourced from data.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/specials/map-charts-the-death-toll-of-the-war-on-drugs

Their current numbers show 2475 killed by law enforcement, 1573 killed by unknown assailants, and some random stat of "bodies found away from crime scene."

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Meanwhile Grand Theft Auto remains on the app store. Not that I dislike GTA but if you're going to start pulling games for morality of the subject matter there is a long list that will go away.

 

[Mike MA]

I'm oftenly surprised by some of the provided contents at all.

 

[rhoydotp]

Meanwhile Grand Theft Auto remains on the app store. Not that I dislike GTA but if you're going to start pulling games for morality of the subject matter there is a long list that will go away.

While I agree with GTA should also be pulled out, however, this particular game was based on actual events.

 

[Jsameds]

Just re-upload but this time call the character Tuderte, and with a footnote saying "Any persons depicted in this game are purely fictitious..." etc etc
[doublepost=1511959323][/doublepost]

GTA should also be pulled out

No. Just...no.

 

[Schranke]

Meanwhile Grand Theft Auto remains on the app store. Not that I dislike GTA but if you're going to start pulling games for morality of the subject matter there is a long list that will go away.

I do not expect that this will hit games like GTA. What I see as the problematic thing is the connection between real life public persons, the politic they are running, and the consequences this have. Extrajudicial actions should not be something which is encouraged, so the pulling here do not seams to be for an outright moral reason. if that was the case we would have had a lot more apps pulled more frequently.

 

[rhoydotp]

Just re-upload but this time call the character Tuderte, and with a footnote saying "Any persons depicted in this game are purely fictitious..." etc etc

LOL ... and Apple is ok with this? WOW!

 

[pika2000]

I wonder where were these human rights activists when the drug mafia kidnapped and murdered the citizens. I guess some humans (criminals) have more rights than regular people?

The Philippines is a sovereign democratic country. The people voted for Duterte. There has to be a reason for that. These human rights activists should be focusing what the damage and terror the drug cartel had done in the past that resulted in the people of the Philippines voted for Duterte, instead of simply becoming an armchair critic of Duterte's policy.

 

[Telos101]

As a note, Human Rights Watch has been known to inflate numbers to serve their agenda.

ABS-CBN has their own tracker, which is actually sourced from data.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/specials/map-charts-the-death-toll-of-the-war-on-drugs

Their current numbers show 2475 killed by law enforcement, 1573 killed by unknown assailants, and some random stat of "bodies found away from crime scene."

Can you elaborate? It could be more easily argued that the ABS-CBN numbers are skewed, given they're sourced from local newspaper reports and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency websites.

HRW has had access to official police reports and found that inconsistencies are rife: https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/03/02/license-kill/philippine-police-killings-dutertes-war-drugs

 

[Jsameds]

I wonder where were these human rights activists when the drug mafia kidnapped and murdered the citizens. I guess some humans (criminals) have more rights than regular people?

The Philippines is a sovereign democratic country. The people voted for Duterte. There has to be a reason for that. These human rights activists should be focusing what the damage and terror the drug cartel had done in the past that resulted in the people of the Philippines voted for Duterte, instead of simply becoming an armchair critic of Duterte's policy.

Ssshhhh with your rational thinking, this is not the place for it.

The problems facing the Philippines don't originate from the cartels or the black market, the obvious core of the issue stems from mobile gaming on iOS, and the removal of these games is a major breakthrough for peace in the region...

 

[Telos101]

I wonder where were these human rights activists when the drug mafia kidnapped and murdered the citizens. I guess some humans (criminals) have more rights than regular people?

As I understand it, human rights activists stand up for moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behaviour that are regularly protected as legal rights in national and international law. It's law enforcement's job to prevent mafia crimes, not the job of human rights activists.

 

[samcraig]

But Trump approves of the war on drugs... shouldn't Apple respect Trump's opinion?

 

[pika2000]

As I understand it, human rights activists stand up for moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behaviour that are regularly protected as legal rights in national and international law. It's law enforcement's job to prevent mafia crimes, not the job of human rights activists.

Are you saying the victims of those cartels don't have human rights enough for the activists to make some noise about? But mafia drug cartels do?

 

[lowendlinux]

I'm sure Duterte will come to his end in front of a gun too.

 

[magbarn]

I'm sure Duterte will come to his end in front of a gun too.

I dunno about that. Marcos died of "natural causes" despite blatantly assassinating his main political rival...

 

[Telos101]

Are you saying the victims of those cartels don't have human rights enough for the activists to make some noise about? But mafia drug cartels do?

No, I'm saying that human rights are supposed to be upheld by law - which is why mafia drug cartels are illegal. By the same standard, mafia crimes violate human rights by definition, and the police are meant to uphold our human rights by solving and preventing these crimes. I guess you could call police state-employed activists with enforcement powers, though obviously not in the Philippines under Duterte.

 

[pika2000]

No, I'm saying that human rights are supposed to be upheld by law - which is why mafia drug cartels are illegal. By the same standard, mafia crimes violate human rights by definition, and the police are meant to uphold our human rights by solving and preventing them. I guess you could call them state-employed activists, though obviously not in the Philippines under Duterte.

So back to my original point, where were these human rights activists when the drug mafia kidnapped and murdered the citizens. Since they were not making any noises back then, thus by logic for these activists, the criminals have more rights than the citizens, at least these activists feel the rights of the criminals is worth defending for, but not the rights of the citizens and victims.

No wonder Filipinos voted for Duterte.

 

[2010mini]

I wonder where were these human rights activists when the drug mafia kidnapped and murdered the citizens. I guess some humans (criminals) have more rights than regular people?

The Philippines is a sovereign democratic country. The people voted for Duterte. There has to be a reason for that. These human rights activists should be focusing what the damage and terror the drug cartel had done in the past that resulted in the people of the Philippines voted for Duterte, instead of simply becoming an armchair critic of Duterte's policy.

Why do we do this all the time when issues are brought up?

When someone mentions something, there is always this “what about that” reaction. It’s as if, if all issues aren’t mentioned by the first party. Somehow their views are null and void. That the issue shouldn’t be raised.

I am very certain other organizations are actively dealing with violence of drug trafficking. No one can focus equally on all of the issues on our planet. This does not make their area of focus illegitimate.

 

[Telos101]

So back to my original point, where were these human rights activists when the drug mafia kidnapped and murdered the citizens. Since they were not making any noises back then, thus by logic for these activists, the criminals have more rights than the citizens, at least these activists feel the rights of the criminals is worth defending for, but not the rights of the citizens and victims.

No wonder Filipinos voted for Duterte.

You do realize human rights activists are civilians? Duterte's blunt promise to sweep away criminals like mafia cartels was what won him the backing of millions of Filipinos weary of ineffective governments. Now he's in power, activism is the best way to highlight his murderous campaign until the next election.

 

[pika2000]

Why do we do this all the time when issues are brought up?

When someone mentions something, there is always this “what about that” reaction. It’s as if, if all issues aren’t mentioned by the first party. Somehow their views are null and void. That the issue shouldn’t be raised.

I am very certain other organizations are actively dealing with violence of drug trafficking. No one can focus equally on all of the issues on our planet. This does not make their area of focus illegitimate.

Even if they did, sounds like nothing is happening for the people, thus Filipinos voted for Duterte. The Philippines is a democratic country, the people voted for Duterte for a reason. It is very offensive when an external body from privileged country suddenly talking about human rights of the criminals.
[doublepost=1511963914][/doublepost]

You do realize human rights activists are civilians? Duterte's blunt promise to sweep away criminals like mafia cartels was what won him the backing of millions of Filipinos weary of ineffective governments. Now he's in power, activism is the best way to highlight his murderous campaign until the next election.

Is whining against the policy of a sovereign country going to solve the actual problem? If Duterte was not elected, what do these Human rights activist could offer to the people to solve the problem? Filipinos can see for themselves, and they can vote accordingly. No need for an agenda-ridden body with biased news making noises in the name of human rights.

 

[KazKam]

Personally, I'm more concerned about the censorship going on in the US, a nation of supposed free thought and expression, than the killing of murderers, thieves, kidnappers, rapists, and drug pushers in the Philippines (really not losing any sleep over that).

As a privately owned business I fully support Apple's right to take the app down, but I personally think it's the wrong decision and is just pandering to the bleeding-heart whiners that are slowly leading the US down a slippery slope towards the destruction of the first amendment.

 

[Nunyabinez]

I'm surprised that no one has reacted to the point that the letter was sent by the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD).

First, isn't it a little bizarre that there is a group set up as an advocacy group for drug users? Is there an AAOA group (American Association of Opioid Abusers)?

Second, isn't their complaint a little self-serving?

I would imagine that they are not happy that their dealers are being gunned down, but that wouldn't make me particularly sympathetic toward them.

 

[alex2792]

Well, Duarte has pretty high approval ratings so he must be doing something right. Don’t want to get shot? Don’t sell drugs, seems pretty simple really.
[doublepost=1511977478][/doublepost]

I'm surprised that no one has reacted to the point that the letter was sent by the Asian Network of People who Use Drugs (ANPUD).

First, isn't it a little bizarre that there is a group set up as an advocacy group for drug users? Is there an AAOA group (American Association of Opioid Abusers)?

Second, isn't their complaint a little self-serving?

I would imagine that they are not happy that their dealers are being gunned down, but that wouldn't make me particularly sympathetic toward them.

The fact that Apple actually took that group seriously is nuts. I’m going to go ahead and form AMA American Murderers Association and APA American Pedophile Association now.