FORMER senator Leila De Lima yesterday tagged former President Rodrigo Duterte as the mastermind of the thousands of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under his administration’s war on illegal drugs.
“There is no doubt in my mind that former President Rodrigo Duterte is the mastermind, as he was the instigator and inducer of the drug war killings. The drug war was implemented as an official Duterte program of government when he assumed office as President,” De Lima told the continuation of the hearing of the House Committee on Human Rights.
“He must be prosecuted and convicted, and he should spend the rest of his life in prison,” said De Lima, a staunch critic of Duterte’s bloody war on drugs who was detained for several years on drug charges until she was cleared in her last case last month.
Government data shows that over 6,200 drug suspects died in anti-narcotics operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but human rights organizations estimate the death toll could be more than 20,000, affecting predominantly poor communities.
In one of the panel’s hearings, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, a member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), told the panel that 20,322 drug suspects, or almost 40 daily, were killed between July 1, 2016 and November 27, 2017, the first 17 months of the Duterte administration based on a 2017 year-end accomplishment report of the Office of the President, which the Supreme Court noted in the 2018 case “Amora vs Dela Rosa” (former PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa).
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante, panel chair, said Duterte and Dela Rosa missed their chances to tell their side of the story when they snubbed the panel’s invitations.
“We have sought to invite all those who can shed light on the different facets of this issue – which is why it is regrettable that despite the assurances this committee has given, some key personalities have not taken the opportunity to air their side on the issue that had been raised,” Abante said.
“This committee does not want to be one-sided, and to avoid this, we have endeavored to hear all sides as I have frequently reiterated, the integrity of this inquiry depends on obtaining all the facts and hearing all the perspectives. To this end, we have striven to provide a fair and balanced platform for all voices to be heard, as we recognize that justice can only be obtained when all relevant information and necessary viewpoints are considered and processed,” he added.
Dela Rosa was the chief of the PNP when Duterte launched his administration’s aggressive campaign against illegal drugs.
De Lima said the drug war was an official government program under Duterte, implemented through Oplan Double Barrel, a documented operational plan of the PNP.
“These killings were intentionally and deliberately carried out as part and parcel of Oplan Double Barrel upon Duterte’s orders as President and Chief Executive from 2016 to 2022,” De Lima said in her opening statement.
She said these actions constituted a systematic attack on civilians and should be considered crimes against humanity under international humanitarian law.
De Lima traced the roots of the drug war back to Davao City, where the Davao Death Squad (DDS) was reportedly active during the former president’s term as mayor.
