Duterte must be held accountable for his crimes against humanity over the drug war, Southeast Asian MPs say

Manila, 31 October 2024 – ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) closely monitor the process of the investigation of alleged human rights violations over the war on drugs committed by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Philippine Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) Subcommittee conducted its first hearing last 28 October 2024. Parallel are the hearings conducted by the House of Representatives quad Committee on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights and Public Accounts that have already made headway since August 2024. Duterte was invited in both upper and lower house investigations but only attended the former.

Wong Chen, APHR Board Member and Malaysian MP. ©APHR2024

APHR is deeply concerned with how the first Blue Ribbon Subcommittee hearing turned into a circus of arrogance and cursing, reminiscent of Duterte’s presidential broadcasts during the height of the pandemic restrictions.

“The explosive declarations made by former president Duterte demand urgent accountability from the Marcos Jr. administration. The Philippine government must allow the International Criminal Court (ICC) access to the mountains of evidence of the bloody drug war and try the former president for crimes against humanity,” expressed Wong Chen, APHR Board Member and member of the Malaysia parliament.

Kasit Piromya, APHR Board Member and Thai MP. ©APHR2024

“It was alarming to see how former president Duterte admits, on multiple occasions, to instructing police officials in coaxing suspects to fight back to justify the killings,” said Kasit Piromya, APHR Board Member and former member of the Thailand parliament.

I offer no apologies, no excuses – the former Davao mayor was unapologetic in his responses to the panel. Boastful even in protecting the Philippine National Police saying, “I did what I had to do…I did it for my country.”

According to human rights groups in the Philippines and internationally, Duterte’s war on drugs left in its wake as many as 30,000 people murdered. In 2022, when Marcos Jr. ran a joint electoral campaign with Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, he proclaimed that he would not turn in the former president to the ICC, citing that this could threaten the country’s sovereignty.

Mercy Barends, APHR Chairperson and Indonesian MP. ©APHR2024

“The Senate must widen the scope of the inquiry to not only cover the drug war but also the extrajudicial killings and other related human rights violations,” said Mercy Chriesty Barends, APHR Chairperson and member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives. Revoking the policies justifying the indiscriminate killings through the drug crackdown crafted by the former Duterte government is also critical.

Charles Santiago, APHR Co-Chairperson and former member of the Malaysia parliament further adds, “there must be an impartial investigation to provide real justice – and this can only be made possible by allowing the ICC to investigate the case and take former president Duterte to court.”

Charles Santiago, APHR Co-Chairperson and former Malaysian MP. ©APHR2024