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The Grammy award-winning artist apologized to fans for
scrapping his February concert in Manila, saying in a statement
that he agreed with dealing with drugs offenders under the law,
but was against punishing them outside it.
"I don't think of my music as being particularly political but
sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand," said
Taylor, 68, whose songs include "You've Got a Friend" and "Fire
and Rain".
"For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law,
those responsible for the illegal trade in drugs is, of course,
understandable, even commendable," he said.
"But recent reports from the Philippines of summary executions
of suspected offenders without trial or judicial process are
deeply concerning and unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule
of law."
More than 6,000 people have been killed since no-nonsense
President Rodrigo Duterte took office in July and launched a
fierce crackdown. Police say a third of those deaths were
suspected drug dealers killed during counter-narcotics
operations.
The remainder are still under police investigation and are
widely attributed to vigilantes, some of which activists believe
are hired assassins working for the authorities.
Duterte vehemently rejects that. He also says he is not
responsible for Filipinos taking the law into their own hands
and will condone vigilantism if it means curbing the country's
methamphetamine problem.
Taylor, who has won five Grammy awards since his self-titled
debut album came out in 1968, said planned performances in
Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand would go ahead
as scheduled.
(Reporting by Martin Petty; Editing by Robert Birsel)
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