DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 31 October) – The Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) demanded accountability for the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) linked to the bloody war on drugs during the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
In a statement released on Thursday, Antonio Azarcon, UPLM chairperson, said that Duterte must be held liable for the victims killed during police operations in the implementation of his administration’s brutal campaign against illegal drugs.
The group urged both the Senate and House of Representatives to submit all sworn testimonies, including Duterte’s, from their respective public hearings to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Department of Justice to aid the ongoing investigation on the drug war.
Last October 8, the former president appeared in a Senate investigation, in aid of legislation, of the Blue Ribbon Committee’s Subcommittee on the “Philippine War on Illegal Drugs,” to defend his campaign against illegal drugs, stating that “he only did what he had to do for the country and to protect its citizens as he noted that the ill effects of drugs affected the Filipino people.”
Duterte vowed to take full legal and moral responsibility for all the “shortcomings” in the implementation of the anti-illegal drug campaign.
“By asserting ‘full responsibility’ while framing the policy as lawful and necessary, Duterte dismisses the widespread harm inflicted on countless innocent lives,” Azarcon said.
He added that the tragic death of drug war victims, including 17-year-old Kian delos Santos who was brutally killed in August 2017, “underscore the painful human cost of policies that blurred the line between law enforcement and outright abuse.”
The UPLM noted that Duterte’s “selective, even conditional, acceptance of responsibility exposes a troubling standard of accountability,” stating that his rhetoric only fostered a “culture of violence” among law enforcers involved in the anti-illegal drug campaign.
It also condemned Duterte’s unbecoming and disrespectful conduct, which they said reflects his real character. The former leader spew expletives during the hearing aired live on social media.
His disregard for decorum sets a troubling precedent for public accountability, the group said.
“Duterte’s evasive and combative tone contradicts the spirit of democratic institutions like the Senate, where transparency, respect, and responsibility should prevail. Such actions convey that leadership can operate above scrutiny, diminishing the standards expected of any public servant,” the UPLM said.
The group also slammed the senators allied with the former President for taking turns in enabling his behavior.
“Duterte’s unchecked conduct not only undermines the Senate’s authority but also promotes the culture of impunity that threatens the foundation of democratic governance,” it said.
Arvin Dexter Lopoz, UPLM spokesperson, called on the Senate “to hold Duterte accountable for his conduct and to apply appropriate disciplinary measures.”
He said the Upper Chamber “must protect its dignity and ensure that all individuals, regardless of former status, respect its authority.”
The UPLM also urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to rejoin the International Criminal Court (CCC), established by virtue of the Rome Statute, which became binding upon the Philippines following the concurrence of the Senate on August 23, 2011.
On 17 March 2018, then-President Duterte formally notified the UN Secretary-General that the Philippines was withdrawing from the Rome Statute. The withdrawal became effective on 16 March 2019, a year after its receipt by the UN Secretary General. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
