James Taylor scraps Philippines concert plans over its extrajudicial killings of drug offenders

James Taylor has cancelled his upcoming concert in the Philippines, in protest of the country's extrajudicial killings of suspected drug offenders, he announced on social media Wednesday.

The folk music legend is set to play an Asia-Pacific tour next year, and Manila was added to the line-up for February.

But he's decided to scrap those plans and refund tickets, to make a political stand against Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

It's been estimated that over 6,000 people suspected of drug trading have been killed since July by police or by ordered hitmen, without undergoing trial.

The extrajudicial killings are "deeply concerning and unacceptable to anyone who loves the rule of law," said Taylor, himself formerly a heroin addict in the '60s, and '80s.

The Grammy-winning musician has been outspoken about his struggles with drug addiction to heroin and methadone over the years.

"A big part of my story is recovery from addiction," he told The Telegraph in an interview last year.

While the Philippines does not officially condone the extrajudicial killings, President Duterte declared last week that he has personally killed drug suspects on the streets of Davao, when he was Mayor of the city.