Former President Rodrigo Duterte recently questioned why the Department of Justice (DOJ) hasn’t filed criminal charges against him, despite his open admissions about the killings during his war on drugs. During a Senate probe, Duterte bluntly said, “I’ve been killing for a long time, yet no case has been filed against me.”
Senator Risa Hontiveros, who raised concerns about Duterte’s admissions, urged the DOJ to take action. Duterte responded, saying he only ordered police to “kill criminals” and not innocent people, defending his instructions as strictly targeting those who resist arrest.
The government’s data shows around 6,200 deaths from anti-drug operations, with some victims unarmed, including teens like Kian delos Santos. When questioned about responsibility for these deaths, Duterte insisted that he was only responsible for the policy of his administration, not specific cases.
Human rights groups estimate the drug war deaths might be closer to 30,000, including alleged vigilante killings. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is already investigating Duterte and other officials for alleged crimes against humanity.
