Chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa disclosed on Wednesday that he will lead a motu proprio inquiry into the dubious war on drugs started under former President Rodrigo Duterte. This choice comes under increasing criticism from the House quad committee’s investigation and growing local and international questions about the campaign’s human rights consequences. Duterte would be one of the primary resource persons summoned to testify, according to former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and main practitioner of Duterte’s anti-drug campaigns, Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa indicated that regardless of the resolution Senator Bong Go is scheduled to submit, the inquiry will proceed during the Senate recess. Former presidential assistant Go, a long-time close friend of Duterte, has demanded a parallel Senate inquiry to the one under way in the House of Representatives. Following what he described as “baseless accusations” directed against Duterte, Dela Rosa, and others engaged in the anti-drug campaign, he broached the notion. Dela Rosa plans to continue the inquiry confident in Duterte’s eagerness to take part even as Go’s official determination is awaited.
Duterte’s expected participation and Senate comfort level
Pointing to the former president’s comfort with the Upper Chamber, Dela Rosa voiced hope Duterte will show up for the Senate probe. Although Duterte has not yet been formally notified, he pointed out that, should the invitation arrive from the Senate, his participation is quite likely. Dela Rosa claims that Duterte is more relaxed in the Senate than in the Lower House, where the House quad committee’s inquiry is now under progress.
Though I haven’t yet brought this up with him, it seems he would be more at ease sitting in the Senate. Should I invite him, Dela Rosa remarked in an interview, there is a good likelihood he will show up. The senator also intends to invite other important members of Duterte’s Cabinet who were heavily involved in the war on drugs since they too might be very valuable sources of information for the inquiry.
Claims about parallel investigations and the reward system
Launching the Senate inquiry coincides with growing public interest in the testimony coming out of House congressional committee hearings. Among the most divisive assertions is the supposed application of a “reward system” for drug suspect death. Referred to by some as the “Davao model,” this claimed system was supposedly instituted by Duterte during his time as Davao City’s mayor and subsequently expanded countrywide during his presidency.
Garma, a case witness, testified at a recent House quad committee hearing that Duterte’s system paid drug suspects dead P20,000 to P1 million as prizes. Garma said that this approach encouraged police personnel and other agencies to use aggressive strategies in their fight against illegal narcotics.
Senator Bong Go and Dela Rosa have angrily refuted the existence of such an incentive system. Declaring that there was no factual basis for Garma’s allegations, Go dismissed them as “unfounded.” Emphasizing that he had not come across such practices during his stint as PNP chief, Dela Rosa similarly said he was ignorant of any reward-based approach to the killings.
Currently under consideration by the House quad committee is whether to call former President Duterte to testify in line with their continuous inquiry. Chair of the House Human Rights Panel, Manila Representative Benny Abante, said that depending on the events Duterte might be invited at a later date. He underlined, nonetheless, that Duterte’s testimony should be given in a way that lets him speak without undue interruption from other resource persons.
“We are absolutely thinking about inviting him, but we will set up the hearing so that he won’t have to wait excessively to speak. The previous president should have enough time to offer his side of view, Abante advised.
Human Rights Issues and Constant Legal Argues
Due to the claimed violations of human rights under Duterte’s presidency, the war on drugs has been a topic of fierce discussion both inside and outside of the country. Although official statistics show that between June 2016 and November 2021, some 6,200 drug suspects were killed during police operations; many human rights organizations have recorded far more. These organizations contend that reported deaths and extrajudicial actions by both state and non-state actors could account for the actual death toll perhaps as high as 30,000.
Renowned human rights attorney Chel Diokno referenced a 2017 year-end report by the Duterte government estimating that the anti-drug campaign claimed over 20,000 deaths. Many of these deaths, according to Diokno and other legal experts, were illegal, occurring without due process or appropriate investigations, casting doubt on the part government policies and law enforcement play in sustaining violence against accused drug criminals.
Following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to probe Duterte’s drug war, the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty creating the court. Critics have seen this pull-off as an attempt to protect Duterte and his supporters from outside legal scrutiny.
Notwithstanding this, the ICC in January 2023 approved the restart of its inquiry into claimed crimes against humanity carried out during Duterte’s drug war. The ICC Appeals Chamber turned down the petition of the Philippine government to stop the investigation in July 2023, aggravating relations between the Duterte camp and international authorities. Since then, several government officials have expressed resistance to ongoing involvement with the ICC, claiming that the Philippines should handle the inquiry within-country.
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Senate’s Authority and Impartiality Issues
Given Dela Rosa’s close ties to Duterte and his own participation in the anti-drug campaign, questions have been asked about his capacity to conduct an objective investigation as the Senate probe gets under way. Representative Abante expressed doubt, contending that Dela Rosa’s past PNP chief position under Duterte’s administration could affect his objectivity in guiding the inquiry.
“Senator Dela Rosa cannot do a fair and objective investigation, in my opinion. During a news conference, Abante claimed, “He was personally involved in the very operations under investigation.” Although the effort to look at the drug war is admirable, he said, it is still to be seen if the Senate will fund such a study headed under Dela Rosa.
Abante also questioned if Dela Rosa could be a lone fighter in the Senate, noting that other senators might see whether or not to move forward with the inquiry differently. “This is the word of one senator. He added it’s unknown whether the remainder of the Senate will approve it.
Resuming Look at High- Profile Deaths
The PNP has meanwhile declared intentions to resume looking at numerous well-known murders of local officials during the height of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. As public desire for justice rises, many of these unresolved cases—many of which remain unsolved—are now under fresh investigation.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin of Malacañang has said that the Marcos government gives justice and the rule of law first priority, thereby supporting the PNP’s decision. “The reopening of these investigations marks the commitment of the present government to guarantee responsibility and respect of the rule of law,” Bersamin said in a statement.
The testimony of influential people such as Duterte, Dela Rosa, and other former officials will probably help to change public opinion of the war on drugs and its legacy as the inquiries advance. Now that both the Senate and the House are running concurrent investigations, the emphasis will be on revealing the whole extent of the activities and resolving the human rights issues that have shadowed Duterte’s dubious campaign.
