Image from ANPUD’s website via Apple store
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity has gone digital, as his infamous war on drugs has become the subject of several mobile gaming apps.
READ: Get ‘Rody to rumble’ with the ‘Go Duterte’ game
This prompted several organizations in the country to send a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook to “immediately remove apps that are promoting murder, extrajudicial killings, violence and the war on drugs in the Philippines.”
According to an online media release, the global community of civil society organizations (CSOs) issued the demand signed by 131 groups composed of human rights organizations and drug rehabilitation centers, among others.
Among the titles in question are the “Duterte Fighting Crime 2,” “Duterte vs Zombies,” “Duterminator” and “Duterte Knows Kung Fu: Pinoy Crime Fighter.”
“These games may seem harmless and fun, but when placed within the context of existing realities…[they] become offensive,” the petition read.
Games feature the outspoken President shooting down criminals himself, while another version has him doing the “kamehameha” a la Son Goku in the “Dragon Ball” series.
The “Tsip Bato: Ang Bumangga Giba” title, meanwhile, features the director general of the Philippine National Police Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa.
Furthermore, the organizations also claimed that such games “valorize and normalize the emerging tyranny of Duterte’s presidency and his government’s disregard for human rights.”
As of this writing, Apple has yet to address the demand. Most of the titles are available on Google Play stores. /ra