House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-List Representative France Castro today called for the Senate to submit the affidavit and recording of yesterday’s Blue Ribbon sub-committee hearing to the International Criminal Court (ICC) following former President Rodrigo Duterte’s shocking admission regarding his role in extrajudicial killings.
“Former President Duterte’s Senate testimony is a damning confession that confirms what human rights advocates have been saying for years,” Castro stated. “His admission of encouraging police to provoke suspects to fight back as a pretext for killing them is not just disturbing – it’s a clear violation of human rights and due process.”
Castro emphasized that the “nanlaban” (fought back) narrative was systematically used to justify thousands of deaths during Duterte’s war on drugs. “Many innocent lives were lost under the guise of ‘nanlaban,’ even when victims clearly did not resist. Now we have direct confirmation that this was indeed official policy,” she added.
The lawmaker called for accountability: “With Duterte’s own admission of responsibility, there should be no more delays in pursuing justice. His confession about maintaining a death squad and encouraging extrajudicial killings demands full cooperation with the ICC because as it is justice is still hard to come by in our country especially when one is dealing with the former president,” said the House Deputy Minority leader.
“As it is, we will relentlessly push for #DuterteIkulong (Imprison Duterte). The former president must be held accountable for the thousands of lives lost under his administration’s deadly anti-drug campaign,” Castro concluded.#
