Like the Donald, like Duterte.

As Donald Trump struggles to find musicians to perform at his inauguration, the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte finds himself in a similar situation. As a protest against the president’s war on drugs, James Taylor decided to cancel his concert in Manila.

Taylor, a Grammy Award-winning musician and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, was set to perform in February, but a statement from his Twitter account on Dec. 21 announced he will no longer visit the Philippines during his Asia-Pacific tour. “I don’t think of my music as being particularly political but sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand,” he said.

He acknowledged the importance of combatting the illegal drug trade but expressed concern about the increasing number of extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte’s crackdown.

Taylor himself battled with drug addiction in the 1960s. He was hooked on heroin early in his career and later on methadone, an opioid used to reduce symptoms that come with drug withdrawal. Many of Taylor’s songs reflect this struggle and carry themes about addiction and salvation.

Duterte’s controversial tactics to rid the Philippines of illegal drugs has claimed more than 6,000 lives. In a recent survey, a majority of Filipinos said they were worried one of their family members would be killed in his war on drugs, but many retain positive views about the administration.</s>Singer-songwriter James Taylor tweeted Wednesday that he would not be playing his February show in Manila due to the extreme measures taken by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte against anyone involved with illegal drugs. In the message, Taylor shares that he doesn’t think of his songs as political, but sometimes one is called upon to take a stand.

Duterte has implemented a no-trial, swift punishment crackdown on illegal drugs that has left more than 6,000 people dead, since taking office in June of this year. Philippine government officials have defended police actions during the extreme movement, reports Billboard.

While acknowledging that drug addiction is a worldwide problem that seriously harms society, Taylor criticized the anti-drug campaign.

“For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable,” Taylor tweeted. “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.”

He apologized to fans and promised to refund the ticket money for the February 25 Mall of Asia Arena show. Taylor also reassured fans that this decision would not affect his shows in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.</s>Singer-songwriter James Taylor tweeted Wednesday that he would not be playing his February show in Manila due to the extreme measures taken by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte against anyone involved with illegal drugs. In the message, Taylor shares that he doesn’t think of his songs as political, but sometimes one is called upon to take a stand.

Duterte has implemented a no-trial, swift punishment crackdown on illegal drugs that has left more than 6,000 people dead, since taking office in June of this year. Philippine government officials have defended police actions during the extreme movement, reports Billboard.

While acknowledging that drug addiction is a worldwide problem that seriously harms society, Taylor criticized the anti-drug campaign.

“For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable,” Taylor tweeted. “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.”

He apologized to fans and promised to refund the ticket money for the February 25 Mall of Asia Arena show. Taylor also reassured fans that this decision would not affect his shows in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.</s>Singer-songwriter James Taylor tweeted Wednesday that he would not be playing his February show in Manila due to the extreme measures taken by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte against anyone involved with illegal drugs. In the message, Taylor shares that he doesn’t think of his songs as political, but sometimes one is called upon to take a stand.

Duterte has implemented a no-trial, swift punishment crackdown on illegal drugs that has left more than 6,000 people dead, since taking office in June of this year. Philippine government officials have defended police actions during the extreme movement, reports Billboard.

While acknowledging that drug addiction is a worldwide problem that seriously harms society, Taylor criticized the anti-drug campaign.

“For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable,” Taylor tweeted. “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.”

He apologized to fans and promised to refund the ticket money for the February 25 Mall of Asia Arena show. Taylor also reassured fans that this decision would not affect his shows in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.</s>Folk-rock icon James Taylor has canceled his February 2017 concert in Manila on his forthcoming tour across Asia to make a statement against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs,” which has left thousands dead since Duterte took office in June.

He announced the decision on Tuesday night in a statement posted on Twitter and his personal website.

“I don’t think of my music as particularly political but sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand,” Taylor wrote. He went on to lament to “scourge of addiction,” but wrote that “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.”



Tickets to the show will be fully refunded. The rest of the tour, featuring shows in Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia, will carry on early next year as scheduled.

Taylor, who recently campaigned for both Hillary Clinton and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Cooper in his home state of North Carolina, is far from the first foreigner to voice alarm over the recent rash of extrajudicial killings across the Philippines. The Western media took note of Duterte before he was even elected, mostly because it saw the crass former mayor who pledged to “kill 100,000 criminals” as an overblown, dystopian analog to America’s Donald Trump.

Since taking office, he has been making good on his promise. An estimated 6,100 alleged drug users or dealers in the Philippines have been murdered by so-called “death squads” in the last six months, prompting consternation from governments and officials around the world.</s>James Taylor photographed on May 13, 2015 at The DiMenna Center in New York.

James Taylor has canceled his February concert in Manila, saying reports of summary executions of suspected drug offenders in the Philippines without judicial proceedings are "deeply concerning and unacceptable."

The American singer-songwriter tweeted Wednesday that he had been looking forward to performing in Manila and that it saddened him to cancel the concert. He apologized to his Filipino fans and said all tickets sold for the Feb. 25 performance at Manila's Mall of Asia Arena would be fully refunded.

Taylor said his scheduled concerts in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand would not be affected.

Since taking office in June, President Rodrigo Duterte has overseen a crackdown on illegal drugs that has left more than 6,000 people dead, alarming Western governments and human rights watchdogs. Philippine government officials have defended police actions during the crackdown.

While acknowledging that drug addiction is a worldwide problem that seriously harms society, Taylor criticized the anti-drug campaign.

"For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable," Taylor tweeted. "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."

Dozens of tweets from people reacting to Taylor's message praised the musician and voiced respect for his stand. Others urged other artists to follow his lead, while a handful of Duterte supporters said Taylor should see the situation for himself instead of basing his opinion only on media reports.</s>Singer-songwriter James Taylor tweeted Wednesday that he would not be playing his February show in Manila due to the extreme measures taken by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte against anyone involved with illegal drugs. In the message, Taylor shares that he doesn’t think of his songs as political, but sometimes one is called upon to take a stand.

Duterte has implemented a no-trial, swift punishment crackdown on illegal drugs that has left more than 6,000 people dead, since taking office in June of this year. Philippine government officials have defended police actions during the extreme movement, reports Billboard.

While acknowledging that drug addiction is a worldwide problem that seriously harms society, Taylor criticized the anti-drug campaign.

“For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable,” Taylor tweeted. “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.”

He apologized to fans and promised to refund the ticket money for the February 25 Mall of Asia Arena show. Taylor also reassured fans that this decision would not affect his shows in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.</s>Singer-songwriter James Taylor tweeted Wednesday that he would not be playing his February show in Manila due to the extreme measures taken by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte against anyone involved with illegal drugs. In the message, Taylor shares that he doesn’t think of his songs as political, but sometimes one is called upon to take a stand.

Duterte has implemented a no-trial, swift punishment crackdown on illegal drugs that has left more than 6,000 people dead, since taking office in June of this year. Philippine government officials have defended police actions during the extreme movement, reports Billboard.

While acknowledging that drug addiction is a worldwide problem that seriously harms society, Taylor criticized the anti-drug campaign.

“For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable,” Taylor tweeted. “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.”

He apologized to fans and promised to refund the ticket money for the February 25 Mall of Asia Arena show. Taylor also reassured fans that this decision would not affect his shows in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.</s>Taylor posted a note on Twitter saying that he was canceling his February 25 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, and promised that all ticket holders would have their money refunded. At issue is Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte‘s campaign against illegal drugs. According to Taylor, there are reports that Duterte has authorized the “summary executions of suspected offenders without trial or judicial process.”

On Twitter, Taylor writes, “For a sovereign nation to prosecute and punish, under the law, those responsible for illegal trade in drugs is, of course, understandable, even commendable,” but he notes that the reports are “deeply concerning and unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law.”

Offering his “heartfelt apologies,” James writes, “I don’t think of my music as being particularly political, but sometimes one is called upon to make a political stand.”

While many fans tweeted their support, others mocked Taylor for believing media reports, and some accused him of canceling the show because he’d failed to sell any tickets.

Taylor’s concerts in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand are unaffected by the cancellation.</s>MANILA—James Taylor has canceled his February concert in Manila, saying he finds reports of summary executions of suspected drug offenders in the Philippines without judicial proceedings “deeply concerning and unacceptable.”

The American singer-songwriter tweeted Wednesday that he had been looking forward to performing in Manila and that it...
Musician James Taylor cancels a concert in Manila to protest the ongoing drug war.