Windsor's Filipino community monitors war on drugs in the Philippines

Members of Windsor's Filipino community are anxiously keeping tabs on events in their homeland, as more than 1900 people have been killed since the beginning of July.

"It's very upsetting," said Gloria Yamana, a Filipino Windsorite, who frequently returns to the Philippines to visit family.

She recently cancelled a trip home because of the turmoil.

"We're supposed to go every other January to visit our relatives in the Philippines, but I'm a little scared to go this time so I'll wait until things settle down. I know it will."

The United Nations has been critical of President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug approach, calling on him to stop what it calls "unlawful killings of people suspected of drug-related offences."

Yamana, a retired nurse, would like to see more rehab centres to curb drug use in the Philippines.

"I pray for them, especially the young people that are affected by this violence. It upsets me every time."

Windsor's Siegmund Ambrosio is a member of the Pinoy in Canada Patriotic Movement. The group held a campaign rally in Windsor to support Duterte during the election.

"[Duterte] is a man of law. He's an honest person. He has this will. When he says he's going to do it, he's going to do it," said Ambrosio.

Ambrosio blames the country's previous administration for the proliferation of drugs in the Philippines.