House panel to study credibility of Duterte’s drug war statements

Former President Rodrigo Duterte attends the House quad committee hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (Photo from House of Representatives Media Bureau)

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives quad committee will still study the credibility of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s statements during its hearing on his administration’s bloody war on drugs, according to panel chair Surigao 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers.

Barbers said they reached this conclusion after noting Duterte’s tendency to retract his statements.

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“Because, you know our former president, he has those kinds of statements that sometimes you don’t really recognize as truthful, [it could be] hyperbole or joke,” Barbers told reporters in Filipino in an interview on Thursday.

“So we must sit on it, understand, and read carefully. Listen again to what he said and determine what is real. This would help us determine our conclusion,” he added.

Among Duterte’s statements during the November 13 hearing was his challenge to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to immediately begin its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed during his administration’s anti-drug campaign. He also dared the ICC to start its probe the next day, November 14.

However, by the end of the panel’s hearing, Duterte reiterated that the ICC had no jurisdiction in the country.

The quad panel also tackled Duterte’s statements in past interviews and during the Senate drug war probe, including his pronouncement of taking “full, legal, moral responsibility” for his administration’s drug war.

Duterte admitted to planting evidence on a suspected criminal when he was the mayor of Davao City “as part of their strategy.”

Moreover, the former president 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.