Duterte attends first House EJK probe

Metro Manila, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte finally showed up at the House panel inquiry on supposed extrajudicial killings linked to his war on drugs.

Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, rushed to the House hearing as a spectator from the Senate plenary deliberations on the budget of the Office of the Vice President. In attendance as well were his staunch critics former Senators Leila de Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Below were the highlights of the hearing.

Ready to face ICC

Duterte dared the International Criminal Court (ICC) to come to the Philippines and investigate his supposed crimes against humanity.

“I’m asking the ICC to hurry up,” Duterte said. “Matagal, baka mamatay na ako, hindi na nila ako ma-imbestiga (It’s too long, I may already be dead before they investigate).”

If found guilty, Duterte said he is ready to go to jail.

His latest remark was opposite to what he had always said that he will only face local courts. He also pulled out the country from the Rome Statute which created the ICC, and vowed not to cooperate with it.

Duterte killed

The former chief executive admitted that he killed police officers who were criminals.

He also said that he took the lives of at least six people due to illegal drugs when he was mayor of Davao City.

Duterte confirmed that he requested for a higher budget for the Office of the President to fund the reward system. PCol Royina Garma (ret.), a longtime Davao police chief, earlier said the system rewards those who can kill drug suspects.

In defense of ex-economic adviser

Duterte also defended his presidential economic adviser and businessman Michael Yang.

During the previous hearing, former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban said he was threatened to not implicate the names of Yang, Duterte’s son Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, and Second Gentleman Mans Carpio in billions of pesos in illegal drug shipment in 2018.

The former president said the fact that Yang is alive meant he was not involved in illegal drugs.

“Kung meron [ebidensya], ako na ang pumatay. Hindi na kailangan ang pulis,” Duterte said.

[Translation: If there is evidence, I will kill him. There is no need for police.]

Duterte vs Trillanes

The former president and Trillanes had a heated exchange, with Duterte attempting to hit the former senator with a microphone.

Trillanes presented supposed bank records, named under members of the Duterte family, with deposits worth millions of pesos. He said it came from a drug lord.

“Ginagawa niya ang war on drugs para proteksyunan niya ‘yung sindikato niya,” Trillanes said. “Yung drug list na sinasabi ni Duterte, may legitimate mga personalities du’n galing du’n sa mga iba’t ibang mga ahensya. Pero ‘pag may kailangan silang isingit na mga kalaban nila sa mga drug business, sinisingit nila doon.”

[Translation: He did the war on drugs to protect his syndicate. In the drug list, there are legitimate personalities there. But if there is a need to include names of their competitors in the drug business, they insert it.]

Saying it was a serious accusation, Duterte called the bluff.

“Kung may isang totoo lang, katiting (If there is a little bit of truth to that), I will ask my daughter to resign and everybody in the family, and I will hang myself,” the former president said.

Emotional bereaved families

Grieving kin of extrajudicial killings became emotional as they recounted the fate of the slain victims.

“Mahirap po sa amin talaga. Hanggang ngayon po ay walang hustisya dahil wala pong masusing imbestigasyon para sa mga pumaslang,” Llore Pasco said.

[Translation: It is really difficult for us. Until now, there is no thorough investigation into the killings.]

“Sa totoo lang, 'yung war on drugs, lubos kaming nawalan ng dignidad, inalisan kami ng dignidad. Halos naging kontrolado ang war on drugs,” Maryann Domingo, meanwhile, lamented.

[Translation: To be honest, we lost dignity, they stripped our dignity in the war on drugs. It became controlled.]

Duterte was firm that his anti-drug campaign was successful.

Based on human rights records, extrajudicial killings reached about 30,000, way beyond official data of around 6,000.