MANILA Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights, yesterday urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) to file charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte following his admissions during the hearing of the Senate sub-committee on his administration’s drug war.
“We have testimony that shows that the president issued directives and gave the green light to a reward system that led to the death of innocents. If the former president says that he is taking responsibility for the illegal and fatal acts of law enforcement during his administration, then he should be held accountable,” said Abante, one of the chairmen of the House quad committee which has been investigating Duterte’s war on drugs.
The lawmaker said Duterte’s admission before senators could implicate him in both Philippine and international courts, including the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“While he was president, the law and political considerations protected him. But now, this admission might be seen as enough basis for both Philippine and ICC prosecutors to hold him accountable,” Abante said.
Rep. Jude Acidre (PL, Tingog) said Duterte and all officials of the past administration responsible for the summary killings during the campaign against illegal drugs should be held accountable.
“The wheels of justice must take its due course. Charges must then be filed, and if proven guilty, Rodrigo Duterte must go to jail,” Acidre said.
“We must not set this evidence aside or keep a blind eye to violations of our laws that were made as state policy,” he added.
In a joint statement, the Young Guns bloc said Duterte “has to face the full force of the law and go to jail for the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) committed during his administration.”
“Duterte’s admission offers an opportunity to reaffirm our nation’s commitment to the rule of law,” said Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun, a leader of the group. “This is a critical time for our institutions to show their strength by pursuing the legal accountability that so many families have waited for.”
CRIMES
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla objected to the statement of Duterte during the Senate hearing that crime remains rampant in the country.
Duterte told the Senate inquiry that the end of his administration’s war on drugs allowed criminals to resurface, resulting to an increase in drug-related crimes during the current administration.
In a statement, Bersamin said there has been a widespread decline in crime across the board “without foregoing due process nor setting aside the basic human rights of any Filipino.”
“With due respect to former President Rodrigo Duterte, there is no truth to his statement that crime remains rampant in the country. Statistics from the Philippine National Police (PNP) show the complete opposite,” he said, adding that the country is now even safer, the people are more secure, and “our future more assured than ever before under the stewardship of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”
Remulla, for his part, said: “Such assertions, made during a Senate hearing on the previous administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign, stand in stark contrast to the comprehensive data provided by the Philippine National Police.
Remulla cited PNP statistics showing that from July 1, 2022, to January 31, 2024, crimes have plummeted to 324,368, representing a 10.66 percent decrease from the 363,075 crimes recorded between December 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022.
Notably, Remulla said seven out of eight focus crimes have also seen significant declines, including a reduction in rape (11.08%), physical injury (10.59%), robbery (2.26%), murder (10.17%), carnapping (23.27%), and homicide (0.91%).
The only exception to is theft, which experienced a modest increase of 4.79 percent. – With Jocelyn Montemayor and Ashzel Hachero