Duterte faces Senate probe on his bloody drug war

Metro Manila, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte for the first time attends a widely anticipated congressional hearing that began Monday, Oct. 28 in what would be a face-off with his critics and families of alleged victims of his drug war campaign.

During the weekend, Sen. Bato dela Rosa said his former boss is in good condition to appear before Senate lawmakers.

“I did what I had to do because kailangan kong gawin [I need to do it]. Why? To protect the people and my country,” Duterte told reporters in a chance interview before the start of the hearing.

When asked if he is confident he will get fair treatment from Senate lawmakers, Duterte replied: “I hope so.”

Duterte will face off for the first time with former Sen. Leila de Lima, one of the most vocal critics of the drug war.

“I am here to make an accounting of what I did as a president, so walang problema [there’s no problem],” the former leader said.

De Lima has been cleared of the three drug-related cases filed by the Duterte administration.

De Lima — who had been in jail for years — said she has “mixed feelings” about going head-to-head with the actors of Duterte’s drug war.

“At the same time, there is this feeling of real hope na baka nga naman magsimula na talaga ang hustisya at accountability [that maybe this would be a start for justice and accountability],” De Lima said in a chance interview.

Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said families of drug war victims will be the first to speak in the hearing.

Both PCol Royina Garma (ret.) and former National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo are absent.

Pimentel will be the chief investigator of the probe that will be led by a Blue Ribbon subcommittee. 

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee can initiate an investigation during the legislative break without needing a committee referral when the session resumes on Nov. 4. The Blue Ribbon investigates alleged wrongdoings of public officials and employees.

Senate President Chiz Escudero made the decision as criticisms hound Dela Rosa for wanting to lead a parallel investigation. Dela Rosa was the chief implementer of Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign.

Duterte has not attended any hearing in the House of Representatives’ quad committee, who is investigating the possible link between illegal offshore gaming, illegal drugs, extrajudicial killings, and human rights abuses during his administration’s anti-drug campaign.

At the House of Representatives, former and sitting police officers earlier testified that the drug war killings allegedly were directives from the very top.

Garma delivered one of the many bombshell testimonies, saying the Duterte administration supposedly implemented a “Davao model” where killing suspects comes with a reward. 

Duterte declined to turn up during the House committee hearing on Oct. 22 as he was “not feeling well and is in need of much rest,” according to a letter submitted to the joint panel.

Official government data showed over 6,000 deaths linked to police anti-drug operations, but human rights groups argued the number was twice to five times more.

The International Criminal Court, a court of last resort, is investigating Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity in relation to the drug war. — with reports from Eimor Santos