Duterte should be held accountable for drug war killings – lawmaker

HOUSE PROBE Former President Rodrigo Duterte testifies at the House of Representatives probe into the drug war on Nov. 13, 2024 — NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Criminal complaints should be filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte for his alleged violations of international humanitarian law in connection with his administration’s drug war, which claimed thousands of lives.

Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro made the recommendation in a statement on Sunday.

During the House of Representatives quad committee hearing last November 13, Luistro presented data showing that 6,252 people died in police anti-drug operations as of May 2022 while 27,000 to 30,000 extrajudicial killings (EJKs), including vigilante-style murders, were committed during the campaign.

The lawmaker reported that 427 activists, human rights defenders, and grassroots organizers died as of December 2021 while 166 land and environmental defenders died as of December 2020.

She also reported that 23 journalists and media workers died as of April 2022, 66 members of the judiciary and legal profession died as of December 2021, and 28 mayors and vice mayors died as of December 2021.

“Mr. President, my question is, when you implemented the war on drugs, did you strictly comply with the requirement of due process?” Luistro asked during the hearing to which Duterte answered “Yes.”

“Contrary to the answer of the former President, I humbly believe that the former President and his war on drugs never complied with the requirements of due process,” she said.

“If, indeed, they followed the requirement of due process, wala po dapat ganito karaming patay at ang dapat maraming kaso na pending in court (the killings would not be so many and there would be many cases in court),” she added.

She also pointed out that criminal complaints could be filed against Duterte based on his public admission of “full legal and moral responsibility” for the drug war.

READ: Duterte: Taking responsibility for drug war can be ‘confession of guilt’

“By Mr. President’s own admission of his accountability, both to legal and illegal actions of the police, it is the humble submission of this representation, Mr. Chair, that the quad comm is ready to make a recommendation for the filing of the necessary action in court—that is a violation of the law, RA 9851, Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, or at the very least, the murder cases, as defined under the Revised Penal Code,” she said.

The quad panel also tackled Duterte’s statements in past interviews.

The former president admitted that his statement on taking responsibility can be equated to an “extrajudicial confession of guilt.”

“Yes, because I ordered the campaign against illegal drugs. At kung anong ginawa nila, whether legal or not, ako nag-utos (And whatever they did, whether legal or not, I ordered it). In that sense, I take that responsibility for their actions,” he told Luistro.

Duterte also reiterated that he killed six or seven people when he was Davao City mayor, noting that he roamed the city waiting for the chance to kill criminals.