MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte should be imprisoned for the thousands of extrajudicial killings committed during his war on drugs, House lawmakers said on Monday, October 28.
In a statement, neophyte lawmakers of the “Young Guns” bloc did not hold back when they said Duterte should “go to jail.”
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This was their response after the former president said on Monday at the Senate inquiry into the war on drugs that he, not the police officers who followed his orders, should be detained for leading the campaign.
“For all of its (war on drugs) successes and shortcomings, I and I alone take full legal responsibility sa lahat ng nagawa ng pulis pursuant to my order. Ako ang malagot at ako ang makulong, ‘wag yung pulis na sumunod sa order ko,” Duterte said in his opening speech.
(For all its successes and shortcomings, I and I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police did pursuant to my orders. I should be held accountable and jailed, not the officers who followed my orders.)
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Rep. Jude Acidre (Tingog Party-list) said that even a former president should not be immune from legal consequences. Now that Duterte is claiming responsibility for the drug war’s effects, the lawmaker stressed that this provides sufficient grounds for the justice system to act.
“If we truly stand by our principles of justice and the rule of law, then Mr. Duterte must be held accountable. He must go to jail for these EJKs. This is not about politics; it’s about justice,” he said.
House Committee on Human Rights Chairperson Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Manila, 6th District) pointed out that Duterte's repeated calls to kill drug suspects, even those resisting arrest, had "emboldened" police officials to carry out such actions.
“Well, that would be a normal statement that can be said by any leader, but we've seen his repeated pronouncements to “kill, kill.” He said it numerous times. It emboldened the Philippine National Police officers to actually kill,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.
He added that Duterte’s statement claiming responsibility for all EJKs paves the way for legal action both domestically and internationally.
This is particularly reinforced by the House Quad Committee's findings, which uncovered multiple testimonies about the former president's alleged reward system for police officers involved in killing drug suspects, Abante said.
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Despite the former president’s old age, the Quad Comm co-chair also said that Duterte still “cannot get away from the responsibility of his actions.”
Filing charges. In a separate statement, Rep. Perci Cendaña (Akbayan Partylist) also urged the Department of Justice to "act swiftly" in filing appropriate charges against Duterte and complicit officials for the extrajudicial killings, following his admission of responsibility and the existence of a Davao Death Squad (DDS).
Meanwhile, Rep. Paolo Ortega (La Union, 1st District) said the country should consider supporting the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe into EJKs if domestic cases do not pan out. The ICC has been examining documents and testimonies since 2018.
“If Philippine authorities do not act, the ICC could be a crucial avenue for justice. We must ensure accountability for the lives lost and demonstrate that no one is above the law,” he said.
Acidre added that “the wheels of justice must take their course,” and if Duterte is proven guilty, he should go to jail.
On his attendance. The House Quad Comm invited Duterte to attend its public hearing on October 22 regarding the extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs, but his legal counsel told the committee that Duterte was unable to attend because he was “feeling unwell.”
According to the excuse letter, Duterte prefers to attend the House’s public hearings after November 1. However, the former president was present at the Senate’s inquiry on October 28.
Rep. Dan Fernandez (Santa Rosa, Lone District), a co-chair of the mega-panel, previously said that it would be "disrespectful" and "unfair" if Duterte would only attend the Senate hearings.
Two members of the Senate, Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa and Sen. Bong Go, were trusted aides of Duterte during his administration and are both implicated in the extrajudicial killings and alleged reward system. Throughout the first Senate hearing, they frequently defended Duterte and themselves against these allegations.
Fernandez told Philstar.com that Duterte’s attendance on Monday is "good for all," as it allows Congress to fully understand what "really transpired during the implementation" of the war on drugs.
“It is incumbent upon us to seek the truth because the truth will always come out no matter how long you hide, it will always come out,” he added.
Human rights groups estimate that the war on drugs has resulted in around 30,000 extrajudicial killings, while government data places the number at 6,000.