ACT Teachers slams Duterte’s decision to skip House drug war probe

THERE GOES DECORUM. The nation had a fresh dose of the expletive-laden rants of Rodrigo Duterte on Oct. 28, 2024 as the former President appeared at the Senate and faced, for the first time since the end of his term, an official body revisiting his bloody war on drugs. — GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to skip the House of Representatives’ quad committee hearing on November 7 is “a shameful attempt” to escape responsibility for the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during his administration’s drug war, according to ACT Teachers Partylist president Antonio Tinio.

Tinio on Wednesday said the letter sent by Duterte’s lawyer to the office of Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is filled with “filmy excuses and speculative imputation” against the lower chamber’s integrity.

READ: Former president Duterte skipping House quad comm hearing on drug war

“We condemn former President Rodrigo Duterte’s persistent refusal to face public accountability for the thousands of lives destroyed during his brutal drug war. His latest legal maneuver — declining to attend the House Quad Committee hearing — is a shameful attempt to dodge responsibility for state-sponsored killings that devastated urban poor communities,” the former partylist representative’s statement read.

Tinio also pointed out that Duterte’s claim that the House probe is a mere “political ploy” insults the drug war victims and their families.

He likewise questioned Duterte’s argument that his attendance at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee was sufficient since it was attended by ranking government officials during his administration.

“Undeniably, that hearing was dominated by allies of the former president, including Senators [Ronald] Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go, themselves directly implicated as key players in the systematic mass killings instigated by Duterte,” Tinio said.

Tinio called for all democratic forces to demand full accountability for the killings.

“The victims of the drug war deserve truth, justice, and genuine reparation. No amount of legal technicalities can wash away the blood on Duterte’s hands,” he added.

Based on reports, the war on drugs left at least 6,000 people dead.

However, data from human rights watchdog Karapatan showed that at least 30,000 EJKs during the drug war.