MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday offered no apologies or excuses for his actions as he faced a Senate investigation into his widely criticized bloody war on drugs for the first time.
Before reading his prepared statement during the hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, Duterte requested the panel to treat him as a witness, not as a president or a friend.
“My mandate as President of the Republic was to protect the country and this Filipino people,” Duterte then said, reading his statement.
“Don’t question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country,” he stressed.
READ: The Duterte Administration
The former leader then went on to defend his administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of drug suspects.
“The war on illegal drugs is not about killing people. It’s about protecting the innocent and the defenseless,” Duterte said.
The war on drugs, he added, is also about the eradication of illegal substances such as shabu, cocaine, marijuana, and party drugs.
“I have always viewed people addicted to illegal drugs as victims and patients requiring medical help and not as criminals,” he also said.
So instead of fearing death or incarceration, Duterte said he advocates for the rehabilitation of drug addicts so they could go back to the “mainstream of a just and forgiving society.”
His remark, however, contradicted the sentiments of the families of slain drug suspects and other victims of the ruthless war on illegal drugs during his presidency.
Some of them held a rally outside the Senate building in Pasay City before the committee began its hearing at 10:00 a.m.
READ: LOOK: Pro and anti-Duterte groups’ standoff outside Senate
Recalling his time as a professor at the police academy, Duterte admitted to teaching his students to defend themselves when their lives are at risk.
“The duty of the police is to overcome the resistance kung ayaw mag-surrender at kung may baril. At kung tingin mo, sabi ko sa mga police dun sa academy, mamatay ka, barilin mo. Barilin mo sa ulo, patayin mo at least one less criminal in the community. ‘Yun ang utos ko when I was a fiscal and I was a professor doon sa police academy. ‘Yun ang turo sa kanila,” the former leader said.
(The duty of the police is to overcome the resistance if a suspect won’t surrender and is armed. And if you think — I told the police at the academy — that you’ll get killed, then shoot him. Shoot him in the head, kill him; at least there’s one less criminal in the community. That’s my order when I was a fiscal and when I was a professor in the police academy.)
As then president, Duterte said he also repeatedly told the police the importance of self-defense but also reminded them not to abuse their authority and power.
“At hindi ko talaga pinayagan ang abuso ng police o sundalo kailanman sa buong buhay ko and as mayor for so many years and as president in the guise of protecting themselves,” he said.
(And I have never allowed the abuse of police or soldiers at any point in my life, both as mayor for many years and as president, under the guise of protecting themselves.)
Before concluding his opening statement, Duterte reiterated that he would take full responsibility for all the policemen who were just following his orders.
“My job as president was never easy. It was not meant to be. I have tried to do the best I can to address the problem of illegal drugs firmly and without compromise for all of its successes and shortcomings,” he said.
“I and I alone take full legal responsibility sa lahat ng nagawa ng mga pulis pursuant to my order. Ako ang managot at ako ang makulong, ‘wag ‘yung pulis na sumunod sa order ko. Kawawa naman, nagtatrabaho lang,” Duterte said.
(I and I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police did pursuant to my order. I should be held accountable and imprisoned, not the police who followed my orders. They were just doing their jobs.)