House lawmakers urge DOJ to file charges, imprison Duterte over drug war killings

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte should be imprisoned for the thousands of extrajudicial killings committed during his war on drugs, House lawmakers said on Monday, October 28. 

In a statement, neophyte lawmakers of the “Young Guns” bloc did not hold back when they said Duterte should “go to jail.” 

This was their response after the former president said on Monday at the Senate inquiry into the war on drugs that he, not the police officers who followed his orders, should be detained for leading the campaign.

“For all of its (war on drugs) successes and shortcomings, I and I alone take full legal responsibility sa lahat ng nagawa ng pulis pursuant to my order. Ako ang malagot at ako ang makulong, ‘wag yung pulis na sumunod sa order ko,” Duterte said in his opening speech.  

(For all its successes and shortcomings, I and I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police did pursuant to my orders. I should be held accountable and jailed, not the officers who followed my orders.)

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Rep. Jude Acidre (Tingog Party-list) said that even a former president should not be immune from legal consequences. Now that Duterte is claiming responsibility for the drug war’s effects, the lawmaker stressed that this provides sufficient grounds for the justice system to act.

“If we truly stand by our principles of justice and the rule of law, then Mr. Duterte must be held accountable. He must go to jail for these EJKs. This is not about politics; it’s about justice,” he said.    

House Committee on Human Rights Chairperson Rep. Bienvenido Abante (Manila, 6th District) pointed out that Duterte's repeated calls to kill drug suspects, even those resisting arrest, had "emboldened" police officials to carry out such actions.

“Well, that would be a normal statement that can be said by any leader, but we've seen his repeated pronouncements to “kill, kill.” He said it numerous times. It emboldened the Philippine National Police officers to actually kill,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

He added that Duterte’s statement claiming responsibility for all EJKs paves the way