Former President Rodrigo Duterte may have unintentionally discredited his administration’s “nanlaban” or “fought back” narrative on drug war killings in his testimony before the Senate, according to Atty. Neri Colmenares, legal counsel for complainants in the International Criminal Court (ICC) case against Duterte. Speaking to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Duterte admitted he instructed police to provoke drug suspects to retaliate, potentially leading to justifiable deaths in police encounters.
Colmenares, representing activists and the families of drug war victims, asserted that Duterte’s remarks support ICC accusations that the drug war involved systematic extrajudicial killings. The “nanlaban” defense, commonly cited by police to justify deadly force, is now cast as a fabricated tactic, Colmenares said, effectively implicating Duterte and weakening his defense in the ICC case.
“This is one reason the ICC case against President Duterte is strong,” Colmenares stated, speculating that the ICC could issue an arrest warrant by year-end.
Meanwhile, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV confirmed on social media that transcripts from the Senate hearing and QuadComm sessions were submitted to the ICC, further fortifying the case. Duterte, who pulled the Philippines from the ICC in 2019 following the initial probe, has maintained he bears “full, legal responsibility” for the drug war but refuses to apologize.
The ICC is investigating Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity, with police reporting approximately 6,000 deaths, though human rights groups estimate the toll to be as high as 30,000, including vigilante killings. Despite the ICC investigation, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has reiterated that the Philippines will not recognize ICC jurisdiction or rejoin the tribunal.