House Quad Committee chairperson Robert Ace Barbers stated that extrajudicial killings (EJKs) can be interpreted as a “policy” during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, based on the former president’s statements. Barbers noted in an interview with Super Radyo DzBB that President Rodrigo Duterte’s remarks before the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee suggest that EJKs may have been implicitly encouraged.
“If we base it on the former president’s statements, we can reach the conclusion that this became policy because it was ordered,” said Barbers. However, he emphasized the need to investigate further to determine accountability, highlighting that thousands of people died and identifying responsible parties is essential.
In response, former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo refuted the idea of state-sponsored EJKs, arguing that Duterte’s policy was strictly to arrest and prosecute those involved in illegal drugs, allowing force only when suspects resisted violently. Panelo reiterated that Duterte made no admission of committing a crime or establishing a death squad, although Duterte had mentioned a “death squad” made up of “gangsters” during a Senate hearing.
Duterte, who remains unapologetic, asserted his actions were to protect the Filipino people. “My mandate as President…was to protect the country and the Filipino people. Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses,” Duterte said.
Deaths related to the drug war reportedly reached around 6,000 according to police records, though human rights groups claim the toll is closer to 30,000.