PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on Thursday, November 14, 2024, that the statements and testimonies issued by various personalities in congressional inquiries into the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) carried out during the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte are all being looked into and being reexamined.
In an interview with reporters in Cavite, Marcos noted that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are continuously looking into the former administration’s bloody drug war, considering there are still “unanswered questions.”
“But you know, all of the testimony that was given yesterday (November 13) really -- will be taken in and will be assessed to see what -- in legal terms, what is the real meaning and consequence of some of the statements made by PRRD,” Marcos said.
“Now, if that will result in a case being filed here in the Philippines, we will just have to see. The DOJ (Department of Justice) will have to make that assessment,” he added.
Earlier, retired police colonel Royina Garma directly implicated Duterte in the EJKs carried out by the police in the implementation of the crackdown against illegal drugs.
She bared the alleged reward system for police personnel for the killing of drug personalities, saying that the incentives range from P20,000 to P1 million, depending on the level of threat of the neutralized drug personality.
Duterte denied Garma’s claims, but he said that he is taking full responsibility for the killings committed by the police during the drug war.
“Since I was president, there has been a serious problem with drugs. I have to issue or make policy statements about drugs and all that happened. ‘Yung nangyari, pursuant to my order to stop the drug problem, akin yon, akin na akin yon. Ako ang nagbigay ng order (whether) ginawa nila legal or illegal, akin yon. I take full responsibility for it,” Duterte said during the House quad committee hearing on Wednesday, November 13.
(Since I became president, there has been a serious problem with drugs. I have to issue or make policy statements about drugs and everything that happened. What happened, pursuant to my order to stop the drug problem, that's mine, fully mine. I gave the order, whether they did it legally or illegally, it's mine. I take full responsibility for it.)
He also admitted during a Senate investigation that he instructed police to encourage drug suspects to fight back so they would have reasons to kill them.
Over 6,000 alleged drug personalities were killed during Duterte’s drug war.
Duterte said he did what he had to do as the president of the Republic to protect the Filipino people and the country.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the agency had created a task force (TF) to review “cold cases” of EJKs linked to Duterte’s war on drugs.
The TF is obliged to submit a report to Remulla not later than 60 days from the issuance of DO (Department Order) 778 on November 4.
Marcos also maintained his administration’s position in relation to the ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the alleged crime against humanity of murder in the country during the implementation of drug war.
He reiterated that the Philippines will not cooperate in the ICC investigation unless it has a go signal from the former chief executive.
“If ‘yun ang gugustuhin ni PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) ay hindi naman kami haharang doon sa mga ICC. Hindi lang kami tutulong. Ngunit kung pumapayag siya na makipag-usap siya o magpa-imbestiga siya sa ICC ay nasa kanya ‘yun. Wala na kaming desisyon doon,” he said.
(If that is what PRRD wants, we will not block anything related to the ICC. We just won’t assist. But if he agrees to engage or allow an investigation by the ICC, that is his decision. We no longer have a say in that matter.) (TPM/SunStar Philippines)