Former President Rodrigo Duterte (right) and former Sen. Leila De Lima (left). | File photos from the Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte should be held accountable fo instigating the killings in his drug war, former Sen. Leila de Lima insisted on Monday.
In her opening statement at the hearing of the House Committee on Human Rights on alleged drug war atrocities, de Lima said the killings were “systematic” — and were implemented starting when Duterte was still Davao City mayor, even before being elected as president in 2016.
“There is no doubt in my mind that former President Rodrigo Duterte is the mastermind, as he was the instigator and inducer of the drug war killings. The drug war was implemented as an official Duterte program of government when he assumed office as President. This is undeniable since ‘Oplan Double Barrel’ is a well-documented official PNP Operation Plan,” de Lima said.
“These killings constitute a systematic attack on civilians and [are] considered as a crime against humanity under international humanitarian law. For his crimes against humanity both as Davao City mayor and Philippine president, Duterte should be prosecuted and convicted by the International Criminal Court and spend the remainder of his life in prison,” she added.
Start probe in Davao City
De Lima also told the committee that an investigation of alleged extrajudicial killings in the drug war must start in Davao City — an aspect that she also probed when she was still the chair of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
“Any investigation of the past administration’s drug war necessarily has to go back to the origins and history of the Davao Death Squad from its inception in 1988 up to 2016. This is because the 2016-2022 drug war is a mere offshoot of the DDS experience in Davao,” she explained.
“The centerpiece of the national drug war was modeled after the DDS system and operations involving active PNP personnel in vigilante killings. They were organized into cell units of assassination squads led by active policemen from each police station. They were put in charge of their corresponding civilian hitmen,” she added.
De Lima and Duterte’s face-off at the House committee was anticipated as the panel also invited the former president, but he again skipped the hearing on the alleged EJKs.
READ: Duterte, De Lima face-off sought in House inquiry
Courtesy for former president and senator
It was Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas — another Duterte critic — who made a motion to invite both de Lima and Duterte to the hearing. Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., who is the committee chair, approved the motion hoping that Duterte could hear the testimonies of drug war victims.
“Much as I would want to give courtesy to the former president and Sen. Bato dela Rosa, because of the gravity of the testimony of these victims, they should face these people and hear their complaints,” Abante said.
“What I am saying is, perhaps, the former president would look into his own heart and realize what he has done in the past six years.”
Last May 16, when Abante announced the start of his committee hearing, he felt that there would be no need to invite Duterte or dela Rosa — the former president’s first police chief — “to maintain that courtesy with the sitting senator and also with the former president.”
READ: House panel ready to probe into anti-drug war, extrajudicial killings
Then on June 5, on the prodding of Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, Abante said the committee would inform Duterte and dela Rosa about the next hearing, but it would be up to the two individuals if they would attend.
Things changed in late June when Abante said he was convinced that the drug war was “deceitful.” He said that he was hoping Duterte could listen to the testimonies of drug war victims’ relatives.
Abante also urged voters to stop voting for candidates in the 2025 national elections who are against human rights.
Several drug war-related issues have been discussed at the hearing. Previously, a police officer previously assigned with the Batasan Police Station in the Quezon City Police District was grilled after he failed to explain how the past administration’s Oplan Double Barrel was implemented.
The committee also listened to Christine Pascual, the mother of 17-year-old Joshua Pascual Laxamana who was killed by police officers in Pangasinan during the implementation of the drug war.
Police officers said the minor fired against operatives, but Pascual insisted that Laxamana was merely coming home from a DotA tournament in Baguio City and was just caught in the middle of the operation.
Then, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno also revealed before the committee that the Office of the President under Duterte listed over 20,322 drug-war-related deaths as accomplishments, as cited in a 2017 year-end report that was sent to the Supreme Court.