Former Bayan Muna Congressman Neri Colmenares welcomed the House of Representatives Quadruple Committee’s recommendation to file charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials for crimes against humanity in relation to the bloody drug war that claimed thousands of Filipino lives.
“The Quad Comm investigation was a significant step in the Filipino people’s long search for justice. The Quad Committee’s findings validate what we have been saying all along – that the drug war was a systematic campaign of state violence that resulted in crimes against humanity,” Colmenares said.
“Iniluwal ng marubdob na pagsisikap ng mga pamilya ng mga biktima at ng kilusang masa, ang mga natuklasan ng Quad Committee ay nagpapatunay na tama ang aming panawagan noon pa man – na may sistemang pumatay sa libu-libong Pilipino sa ngalan ng pekeng giyera kontra droga. Hindi ito simpleng mga isolated cases kundi isang marahas na kampanya na may basbas mula sa pinakamataas na opisyal ng bansa, ” he added.
The former legislator emphasized that the House investigation should complement, not replace, the ongoing International Criminal Court (ICC) probe.
“We have always maintained that the Quad Comm investigation is a positive step to ferret out the truth in the drug war and complements the ICC probe. we welcome this initiative of the Quad Comm and Congress to hold perpetrators accountable, and this should in no way conflict with or substitute for the ICC investigation. Both processes can and should proceed simultaneously to ensure comprehensive justice for the victims and their families,” Colmenares stated.
“The families of EJK victims who filed the case against Duterte at the ICC will seriously watch any prosecution conducted by the Executive, should Malacanang implement the Quad Comm recommendations. For them, any process to hold Duterte to account is most welcome as long as such investigation and prosecution is serious, genuine and will not result in inordinate delay. The victims of EJK have waited for justice for so long. We would like to stress however that there are still many police officers not mentioned in the report. The DOJ should also prosecute those involved in the Tumandok massacre in Panay, the Bloody Sunday raids in Calabarzon and the Kanlaon killing of 14 suspects in Negros Oriental among other killings done under Duterte, ” he stressed.
Colmenares urged the Department of Justice and other relevant agencies to act swiftly on the committee’s recommendations, noting that thousands of families have waited too long for justice. #
