Duterte is 'fighting the wrong war' – economist

President Rodrigo Duterte is fighting the wrong war and should be focusing on addressing corruption and poverty instead of drugs, an opinion piece published on Forbes magazine said.

"The Philippines' big enemies are corruption and poverty, not drugs. That's why Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's death squads are fighting the wrong war," Panos Mourdoukoutas claimed in the piece he wrote.

Mourdoukoutas currently chairs the Department of Economics at LIU Post in New York, and also teaches at Columbia University. He also authored several books in the field of economics and business.

"They're killing democracy and innocent people, and in the process unsettling financial markets. And they're not touching the corruption and poverty that pushes people into the drug trade," the article said.

Just recently, 17-year-old Kian Loyd delos Santos was killed by police during anti-drug operations in Caloocan City.

The Caloocan City Police Station claimed the minor was a drug runner for one Neneng, who is now the subject of police follow-up operations.

The Delos Santos family denied the allegation and said they are all willing to undergo drug tests to prove their innocence.

Duterte said officials that would be found guilty of murder would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Mourdoukoutas said the Philippines needs to make the "Great Leap Forward" to become a developed country and achieve inclusive growth.

"For an obvious reason: persistent corruption that favors the economic elites of the country at the expense of impoverished masses – which have been pushed into the underground economy," he said.

"In spite of years of economic growth and loud promises by 'revolutionists' of all sorts, the country has yet to get rid of the many regulators that protect the interests of elite groups – regulations that inhibit the development of an efficient infrastructure system and help spread the wealth to the population at large," he added.

Mourdoukoutas said, however, that the Philippines must first address divisiveness in the country.

"Meanwhile, Duterte's hard tactics are pushing the Philippines to a situation it doesn't want to be in: a divided country at the brink of civil war," he claimed. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News