Palace: Philippines safer under Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is safer and the people are more secure than ever under President Marcos, Malacañang asserted yesterday, contrary to claims by former president Rodrigo Duterte at a Senate hearing that crime has become rampant in the country.

“With due respect to former president Rodrigo Duterte – there is no truth to his statement that crime remains rampant in the country,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement.

Bersamin said statistics from the Philippine National Police show “the complete opposite.”

In defense of his bloody war on drugs, the former president claimed at the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing yesterday that criminal activities had soared since Marcos took over.

“There has been a widespread decline in crime across the board,” Bersamin said. “Moreover, we have achieved stability and maintained peace and order in our country without forgoing due process nor setting aside the basic human rights of any Filipino.”

This was the first time Duterte attended an inquiry into the bloody drug war after he stepped down. He had begged off from a similar investigation by the quad committee of the House of Representatives.

Malacañang, meanwhile, also slammed Duterte for citing “outdated” facts about a drug raid in San Miguel, Manila, where the Palace is situated.

Duterte was apparently referring to the arrest of a suspected drug pusher at a residential area in Malacañang complex in San Miguel.

“Further, the incident which the former president cited – of a drug raid in San Miguel, Manila – is based on outdated information,” Bersamin said.

“In that case, one suspect was arrested, drug paraphernalia was seized and his partner is now being pursued by law enforcement,” he said.

“All of this shows that our country is safer, our people more secure and our future more assured than ever before under the stewardship of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Bersamin, a former chief justice, said.

Marcos had said his government would not hand over Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating the previous administration’s alleged atrocities in its war on drugs.

Make Duterte pay

Commenting on Duterte’s admission of full responsibility for thousands of extrajudicial killings during his administration, House members said the former president should be made to face “the full force of the law and go to jail.”

For deputy majority leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, Duterte’s admission “leaves no room for leniency.”

“The former president has publicly accepted responsibility for these deaths ... If we truly stand by our principles of justice and the rule of law, then Mr. Duterte must be held accountable. He must go to jail for these EJKs. This is not about politics; it’s about justice,” he said.

Duterte admitted the existence of the death squad and accepted full responsibility for thousands of killings in his drug war at yesterday’s first hearing by the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee on the issue.

Acidre emphasized that no one, “especially those in positions of power, should be immune from legal consequences.”

“Duterte’s words have given the justice system a clear mandate to act ... As public servants, our duty is to uphold justice – not to shield individuals. Duterte must face the legal consequences for his actions,” he said.

“The wheels of justice must take its due course. Charges must then be filed and, if proven guilty, Rodrigo Duterte must go to jail,” the House deputy majority leader asserted.

“We must not set this evidence aside, or keep a blind eye to violations of our laws that were made as state policy,” he pointed out.

“The Philippines is not a ‘no man’s land’ where there are no laws and accountabilities. We are a democratic country run by a rule of law, which is the very basic foundation of our government,” Acidre maintained.

“The problem in the drug war of the previous administration is very clear: instead of being fair and just, the policy became harsh and bloody. This policy violated human rights under our 1987 Constitution,” he said.

“The result: we veered away from the path to justice, and this policy claimed the innocent lives of our people, including young ones,” Acidre said. “The problem lies in the implementation of the policy of the past administration’s war against drugs.”

House assistant majority leader and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun echoed Acidre’s stance, calling Duterte’s admission a “pivotal moment” that offers an opportunity for the nation to reaffirm its commitment to the rule of law.

“This is a critical time for our institutions to show their strength by pursuing the legal accountability that so many families have waited for,” he added.

For her part, House assistant majority leader and Nueva Ecija Rep. Mika Suansing highlighted the role of government institutions in ensuring that justice is upheld.

“Our judiciary and investigative bodies now have a duty to act on this admission... The former president’s own words must be met with a serious response. For too long, victims of EJKs have waited for answers,” Suansing said.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Lordan Suan, for her part, called on the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman to initiate a full investigation.

“We cannot ignore such an admission,” Suansing stressed. “These institutions must act decisively and transparently to restore faith in our justice system.”

Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo (Lanao del Norte first district) said Duterte’s admission “should galvanize us to reinforce our commitment to justice and human rights.”

“We owe it to the victims and to the Filipino people to prove that our institutions can and will deliver justice,” Dimaporo, chairman of the House committee on Muslim affairs, stressed.

DOJ, ombudsman

Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chairman of the House committee on human rights and one of the leaders of the quad committee, said prosecutors from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice should look into the criminal liability of Duterte, who owned up to killings and human rights violations during his term.

“Former president Duterte’s admission should be taken seriously by both Philippine authorities and the international community. This is a crucial opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to human rights, justice and the rule of law,” Abante said.

“The legal basis is there. We owe it to the victims and the Filipino people to pursue justice without fear or favor,” he said.

He said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Ombudsman Samuel Martires should look deeper into Duterte’s admission.

“The House quad comm has already unearthed evidence and testimony that bolstered allegations that the victims of the war on drugs were innocent, that they were victims of a relentless campaign waged by no less than Malacañang, and had its full blessings,” Abante said.

“We have testimony that shows that the former president issued directives and gave the green light to a reward system that led to the death of innocents. If the former president says that he is taking responsibility for the illegal and fatal acts of law enforcement during his administration, then he should be held accountable,” Abante maintained.

He said that by his own admission, the former president should be made to stand trial before Philippine courts or the ICC.

“While he was president, the law and political considerations protected him. But now, this admission might be seen as enough basis for both Philippine and ICC prosecutors to hold him accountable,” he explained.

The ICC, which had initiated a preliminary examination of the anti-drug campaign, could potentially interpret Duterte’s statements as an endorsement of systematic actions against alleged drug offenders, a potential crime against humanity, Abante said.

Although the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, Abante pointed out that the court retains jurisdiction over incidents committed before 2019.

Independence doubted

Lawyers and families of some victims of extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration have questioned the independence of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation, saying it “has become a platform for those involved and accused,” particularly Senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go.

The Rise Up for Life and for Rights noted that the two senators “had neither the decency nor discretion to inhibit themselves, despite persistent and credible allegations of their participation in the whole scheme of things.”

“This raises significant questions over the independence and effectivity of the Senate investigation and the possibility that this might serve as a whitewash,” it added. — Sheila Crisostomo, Delon Porcalla, Mark Ernest Villeza, Janvic Mateo