Written for The Diplomat
While the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating the role of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in the bloody enforcement of the “war on drugs,” the House of Representatives has decided to also look into the matter and establish linkages between the drug-related killings and the use of illicit money for these operations.
Amid the maneuver for power among the political elite, the victims of the drug war continue to demand justice. The Congress hearings could be partly motivated by partisan political agenda, but the fight against impunity makes it necessary for various stakeholders to ensure that the process will amplify the call for justice and generate a broader consensus to hold Duterte accountable for the abuses committed under his term.
Congressional Committee Recommends Filing of Criminal Charges Against Duterte
Written for The Diplomat
The Philippine House of Representatives held its last session of the year in 2024, during which several committee chairpersons recommended the filing of charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte and his subordinates for crimes against humanity.
The leaders of the Quad committee, which was formed to probe the drug-related killings that took place under the Duterte presidency, shared key findings in their progress report after conducting 13 widely covered public hearings over the past year.
The recommendations of the Quad committee resonate with the demands of the opposition to pursue accountability for the grave abuses that took place when Duterte was president. The challenge for the committee and the House in general is to expand the probe by also looking into the extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations under the Marcos administration.