House leaders are calling on former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies to substantiate claims that his past remarks about killing drug personalities were merely jokes or hyperbole. The call comes after convicted hitmen testified in a House hearing, alleging that Duterte issued direct orders to kill three Chinese drug convicts in 2016.
Laguna Representative Dan Fernandez, who chairs the House Committee on Public Order and Safety, and Surigao del Norte Representative Ace Barbers, chair of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, made the appeal following the testimonies of Fernando Magdadaro and Leopoldo Tan Jr., two persons deprived of liberty (PDLs). Both claimed they carried out the killings in Davao Prison and Penal Farm on Duterte’s orders, with promises of a P1 million payout per kill and eventual freedom—neither of which materialized.
“This is the right moment for the former administration, especially its former officials and the former president, to justify that their pronouncements were all jokes or strong words but not real,” Fernandez said. He recalled Duterte’s past statements about killing people, which were often defended by his allies as exaggerated or humorous.
Barbers emphasized that the testimonies of Magdadaro and Tan cannot be dismissed lightly, noting that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) had informed the House of inmates willing to testify about extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s administration. “We saw that their testimony has value because their testimonies are very serious,” Barbers said.
In response to the allegations, Atty. Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s former spokesperson and legal counsel, dismissed the hitmen’s claims as part of a “demolition job” against Duterte. Panelo argued that the PDLs might be lying in exchange for favors, including money and freedom. He also emphasized the presumption of regularity in law enforcement and challenged lawmakers to provide evidence that extrajudicial killings were a policy under Duterte’s administration.
As the debate continues, questions remain about the extent of Duterte’s involvement in the alleged extrajudicial killings and whether his controversial remarks were more than just tough talk.