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House advice to charge Rodrigo Duterte for drug war, EJKs a 'positive step' — lawyer

December 19, 2024 | 4:11pm

House advice to charge Rodrigo Duterte for drug war, EJKs a 'positive step' â�� lawyer

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte takes an oath as he attends a senate probe on the drug war during his administration, in Manila on October 28, 2024. Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte strongly defended his deadly drug war as he testified October 28 at a senate probe of the crackdown. Police said the campaign left more than 6,000 people dead, but rights groups estimate tens of thousands of mostly poor men were killed by officers and vigilantes, often without proof they were linked to drugs.

AFP / Jam Sta Rosa

MANILA, Philippines — The House Quad Committee’s recommendation to file criminal raps against former President Rodrigo Duterte and other drug war officials is a “positive step” in seeking justice for victims of extrajudicial killings, a human rights lawyer said.

Neri Colmenares, legal counsel for the families of EJK victims at the congressional probe, emphasized that the House investigation has been instrumental in “validating” the long-standing assertions of rights groups:

“The drug war was a systematic campaign of state violence that resulted in crimes against humanity,” he said in a statement on Thursday, December 19.

The former lawmaker credited the perseverance of EJK victims' families, emphasizing their crucial role in driving the legislative branch's push to hold the architects and enforcers of the drug war accountable.

"Brought forth by the relentless efforts of the victims' families and the mass movement, the findings of the Quad Committee affirm the validity of our call from the beginning,” Colmenares said in Filipino, underscoring how Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign killed thousands of Filipinos and without due process.

He added that the EJKs were not “isolated cases,” as revealed in the congressional probe, but part of a “violent” campaign carried out with the former president’s endorsement.

Although the Quad Comm leaders have previously expressed their intent not to directly cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the war on drugs, Colmenares said that the probe should “complement, not replace,” the ICC’s efforts.

"We welcome this initiative of the Quad Comm and Congress to hold perpetrators accountable, and this should in no way conflict with or substitute for the ICC investigation,” he said.

Given that the mega panel and the ICC have the same goal of upholding human rights, the former lawmaker urged both to “proceed simultaneously to ensure comprehensive justice.”

“The victims of EJK have waited for justice for so long. For them, any process to hold Duterte to account is most welcome as long as such investigation and prosecution is serious, genuine and will not result in inordinate delay,” Colmenares added.

The Quad Comm presented their progress report and recommendations at the last plenary session on Wednesday, December 18.

Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (Surigao del Norte, 2nd District) urged the relevant agencies to file crimes against humanity charges against Duterte for the war on drug’s alleged reward system and EJKs.

Aside from the former president, the committee also named Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, both of whom are close aides to Duterte.

Other public officials like retired police colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, who testified before the mega panel, were also mentioned.

The Quad Comm’s recommendations are the result of 13 hearings held from August to December 2024. They produced a 43-page progress report, which includes proposed measures to criminalize EJKs and ban offshore scam hubs.