Ex-Philippine President Duterte claims full responsibility for bloody ‘drug war’

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told a Senate inquiry on Monday that he assumes full legal responsibility for the bloody anti-drug campaign conducted during his administration. While he acknowledged maintaining a “death squad” to target criminals while serving as mayor of Davao City, the 79-year-old politician denied directly ordering extrajudicial killings

Doubling down: Duterte, addressing the Senate’s blue ribbon subcommittee, defended police actions and asserted that only he should be held accountable for the controversial crackdown that led to thousands of deaths. “I and I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police did pursuant to my orders,” he said, emphasizing that officers were merely following instructions. Duterte maintained that the drug war was not aimed at indiscriminately killing people but at protecting Filipinos by combating drug abuse and related criminal activities.
ICC investigation continues: Throughout the hearing, Duterte repeatedly justified his policies, citing the need to protect the country. However, he denied authorizing extrajudicial killings, despite acknowledging that he led a death squad while mayor of Davao City, using gangsters to eliminate other criminals. The inquiry, which marked his first public appearance since leaving office in 2022, comes as the International Criminal Court continues investigating his drug war for potential crimes against humanity, Human rights organizations have reported that the death toll from Duterte’s drug war may reach as high as 30,000, challenging government statistics that cite a lower figure.

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