Duterte takes full moral, legal responsibility for drug war

DAVAO CITY – In a poignant appearance before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee today, former President Rodrigo Duterte, appearing physically weak, asserted his full responsibility for his administration’s war on drugs.

“I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police have done pursuant to my orders. I am accountable and am willing to face imprisonment. The police who followed my orders should not be held accountable; they were just doing their jobs,” Duterte stated.

Elected in 2016 on a platform of strong anti-drug measures, Duterte emphasized, “My mandate as President was to protect the country and the Filipino people.” He urged the Senators not to question his policies, declaring, “I offer no apologies or excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country.”

Duterte defended his administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign, which has led to thousands of deaths among suspected drug offenders. “The war on illegal drugs is not about killing people. It’s about protecting the innocent and the defenseless,” he said, adding that the campaign also aims to eradicate illegal substances like shabu, cocaine, marijuana, and party drugs.

However, former Senator Leila De Lima, a vocal critic of Duterte, brought forth testimonies from families of victims of extrajudicial killings.

One widow recounted how police officers encouraged her and her late husband to sell drugs, claiming, “They are our supplier.”

During the Senate hearing, the widow revealed that from March 2015 to June 2016, she and her husband were commissioned to sell illegal drugs provided by police. She also disclosed that her husband used to clean blood stains from vehicles owned by certain police officers.

As the hearings continue, the debate over the implications of Duterte’s drug policies remains heated, highlighting the ongoing struggle for accountability and justice in the wake of the controversial campaign.