FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte maintained on Monday, October 28, 2024, that the killings under his administration’s drug war are “not state-sponsored.”
In his speech during the opening of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation on the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under the former administration, Duterte said he never ordered the police or the military to kill anybody.
“It was not a state-sponsored killing. There was never an official order for the police and military and for the agents of the government to kill,” Duterte said.
“Wala akong sinabi na ganun kasi abogado ako. Ang sinabi ko that in your fulfillment of duty ‘yung elements of self-defense will apply to you,” he added.
However, he said he ordered police to “encourage” the criminals to fight back and to kill them if they resist arrest.
He explained that a police job involves personal contact and confrontation with people, particularly criminals, which may not end well, either in injury or death.
In his opening speech, Duterte reiterated his “covenant” not only as a government official but also as a private citizen to protect the country and the Filipino people.
“My mandate as President of the Republic was to protect the country and the Filipino people. Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do. Whether you believe it or not, I did for my country,” Duterte said.
“The war on drugs is not about killing people. It is about protecting the innocent and the defenseless. The war on drugs is about the eradication of illegal substances such as shabu, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, party drugs, and the like, which ruins people’s families, communities, and relationships, and tears apart the social fabric, which binds the public’s peace and brotherhood (sic),” Duterte added.
However, Duterte reiterated that since his time as the mayor of Davao City, until he was elected as the highest government official in the country, he would always tell the police to be mindful of the law of nature and not to abuse their authority and power.
He said he reminded them to act accordingly in self-defense.
“Matagal ako nagturo sa aming bayan sa police academy when I was a prosecutor to augment my income. Ang sinabi ko sa kanila, when you are arresting a criminal, you are not supposed to request him to surrender. You have to overcome the resistance, however,” said Duterte.
“Pag ayaw, it’s the duty of the police overcome the resistance. Kung ayaw mag-surrender at kung may baril at kung tingin mo mamatay ka, barilin mo sa ulo. Patayin mo. At least one less criminal in the community. Yun ang utos ko when I was a fiscal and professor sa police academy,” he added.
(If they don’t want it, it’s the duty of the police to overcome the resistance. If they don’t want to surrender and if there’s a gun and you think you’re going to die, shoot them in the head. Kill that person. At least one less criminal in the community. That was my order when I was a fiscal and professor at the police academy.)
Due to the “demonizing” effects of illegal substances, Duterte said he has always viewed people addicted to illegal drugs as “victims” and “patients” requiring medical help and not as criminals.
Over 6,200 alleged drug suspects were killed during Duterte’s term from 2016 to 2022.
‘Reward scheme’
Retired Police Colonel Royina Garma, who is known to have close ties with Duterte, earlier revealed the supposed reward scheme under the former administration, which offers monetary rewards to police personnel in exchange for the killing of drug suspects.
She said that in May 2016, months before Duterte took office, he asked her to find someone “capable of implementing the war on drugs on a national scale, replicating the Davao model.”
Garma said the Davao model referred to the system involving payments and rewards in three levels: reward if the suspect is killed, funding of planned operations, and refund of operational expenses.
She said the incentive ranges from P20,000 to P1 million, depending on the level of threat of the neutralized drug personality.
Duterte denied making such a call to Garma.
“I hate to say this, but nagsisinungaling yang g*ga na yan. Bakit ako mamili ng Iglesia Ni Cristo?” Duterte said.
(I hate to say this, but that b***h is lying. Why should I choose a member of Iglesia Ni Cristo?)
“Bakit ko siya tawagan? It’s a lie. I don’t know what she is driving at kung ano gusto niyang ipalabas at the end of the story,” he added.
(Why should I call her? It’s a lie. I don’t know what she is driving at or what she wants to come out at the end of the story.)
During the inquiry, Duterte came face-to-face for the first time with former Senator Leila de Lima and other families of the alleged victims of the drug war. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)
