Former president Rodrigo Duterte is facing a disbarment complaint filed by relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and human rights advocates before the Supreme Court on Friday.
One of the complainants, lawyer Vicente Jaime Topacio, said in an interview that Duterte has no right to be a lawyer.
“We are all witnesses here, the entire people here are witnesses. We saw how he cursed, how women were insulted, how the process was shortcutted, how the process was ignored, how this person killed people,” Topacio told reporters in Filipino.
Human rights group Karapatan said they want to hold the former president accountable for human rights abuses during his term in relation to the drug war.
“The complaint only has one message: Duterte is a criminal, a scoundrel, a murderer and he is not a worthy lawyer,” Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said.
She added, however, that this process has many limitations, including the sub-judice rule such that they cannot disclose the contents of the complaints themselves.
Other complainants include Rosenda Lemita, Liezel Asuncion, Llore Pasco, Lean Porquia, Saturnino Ocampo, Cristina Palabay, Manuel Gatchalian, Ofelia Balleta, Norma Dollaga, Orly Marcellana, Raymond Palatino, Gabriela Dalena, Luis Burgos, Bonifacio Ilagan, Eleanor Llanes, and Tina-Agel Romero.
The complainants said Duterte also violated the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA).
Duterte obtained his law degree from the San Beda College of Law in 1972 before working as a lawyer and prosecutor.
Last week, a Pulse Asia survey showed that 6 out of 10 Filipinos are in favor of the House Quad Committee’s probe into EJKs, illegal drugs, and illegal POGO activities.
The survey also highlighted what the public wanted the most to achieve from the Quad Comm investigations.
For 37 percent of the respondents, they expect the Quad Comm to be able to identify the government officials responsible for EJKs, illegal drug activities, and illicit POGO operations.
Another 27 percent expressed hope the investigations will lead to the creation of new laws to address these issues, while 11 percent wanted the investigations to result in the prosecution and conviction of those involved in these criminal networks.
The survey was conducted from November 26 to December 3, 2024 with 2,400 respondents. It has a margin of error of ±2 percent.
Last month, the Commission on Human Rights said it supports a recommendation of the Quad Comm to file crimes against humanity charges against those involved in EJKs during the Duterte administration.
Throughout the 13 Quad Comm hearings, the CHR said it has consistently monitored the testimonies, affidavits and sworn statements of all resource persons to ensure that human rights violations are actively addressed by the state and that perpetrators are held accountable.
Specifically, the committee called for the filing of charges against ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Go, ex-Philippine National Police chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Debold Sinas, ex-colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo and former Malacañang official “Muking” Espino.
“The CHR views the collective action of the Philippine government and civil society towards supporting the victims of extrajudicial killings and their families as a crucial step in reshaping the Philippines’ drug policy in a way that upholds human rights, justice and accountability. No one, regardless of position or rank, should be allowed to stand above the law,” the CHR said.
The Department of Justice likewise raised the possibility of granting state witness status to resource persons who will be invited for its parallel probe into EJKs if their testimonies are needed to secure a conviction.
DOJ Usec. Jesse Andres said based on the Quad Comm hearings, two possible EJK cases have a “trail of possible evidence.”
He cited the killing of former PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020 and the deaths of three Chinese drug convicts at the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in 2016.
“We will talk to all the possible resource persons there and if needed, we will grant them the stature of a state witness, if their testimony is very much needed to ensure the conviction of the real perpetrators,” Andres said.
Earlier, police Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza told the Quad Comm that Leonardo and Garma conspired to have Barayuga killed.
Garma was also implicated in the killings of suspected Chinese drug lords Chu Kin Tung, Li Lan Yan and Wong Meng Pin inside the Davao Prison and Penal Farm.
Garma admitted during a Quad Comm hearing that former President Duterte and other high-ranking officials during his term operationalized the so-called “Davao model” of EJKs on a nationwide scale, rewarding cops for every drug suspect killed with incentives ranging from P20,000 to P1 million.
During the anti-drug campaign he launched shortly after taking office in 2016, Duterte ordered cops to shoot dead suspects if the police believed their lives were in danger.
“Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether or not you believe it or not, I did it for my country,” the 79-year-old Duterte said in a Senate hearing in October.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Disbarment filed by families of EJK victims vs. ex-president Duterte.”