We condemn former President Rodrigo Duterte’s persistent refusal to face public accountability for the thousands of lives destroyed during his brutal drug war. His latest legal maneuver – declining to attend the House Quad Committee hearing – is a shameful attempt to dodge responsibility for state-sponsored killings that devastated urban poor communities.
His counsel’s letter, filled with flimsy excuses and speculative imputations against the integrity of the House investigation, only further demonstrates his contempt for the Filipino people’s right to know the truth. His claim that the investigation is merely a “political ploy” is an insult to the families of the estimated 27,000 victims who deserve justice and accountability.
It is the height of arrogance for the former president to suggest that his singular appearance at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is sufficient. Undeniably, that hearing was dominated by allies of the former president, including Senators Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go, themselves directly implicated as key players in the systematic mass killings instigated by Duterte. With his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, he shares the delusion that he can pick and choose when, where, and to whom he may make an accounting for his grave crimes against the people when summoned by legitimate authority.
He seeks to evade appearing before the Quad Committee knowing full well that he will be thoroughly grilled and held directly responsible for the murder of thousands following the brazen admissions he made under oath in the Senate that he directly and specifically ordered the Philippine National Police to intentionally and willfully murder drug suspects using self-defense as pretext; that he set up and ran a death squad as mayor of Davao; and that his police chiefs, including now-Senator Bato Dela Rosa, commanded this death squad.
Duterte’s drug war was never about public safety, but a systematic campaign of violence targeting the urban poor, marginalized communities, and those without the means to defend themselves. The extrajudicial killings represent a grave violation of human rights and fundamental democratic principles.
His claim of “protecting the country” rings hollow when we consider the immense human cost: thousands of lives summarily executed without due process, families torn apart, and communities traumatized. This is not justice – it is state terrorism.
We call on all democratic forces to continue demanding full accountability. The victims of the drug war deserve truth, justice, and genuine reparation. No amount of legal technicalities can wash away the blood on Duterte’s hands. #
