The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), along with the families of victims of the drug war, staged a protest outside the main gate of the Senate on Monday.
The group expressed their condemnation of the changes in Senate leadership and the reported escape of Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, who has been identified as co-perpetrator by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
The ICC issued the warrant against Dela Rosa in connection with his role the chief enforcer in the Duterte administration’s campaign against drugs, which has led to the deaths of thousands of Filipinos due to extrajudicial killings (EJK).
The former president, Rodrigo Duterte, is currently in custody of the ICC after a warrant was also issued against him last year.
Duterte enforced the controversial war on drugs during his administration as Davao City mayor and President, which Dela Rosa oversaw as chief of the Davao City Police and the Philippine National Police.
PAHRA called for accountability from newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, citing his alleged role in enabling and defending policies tied to the drug war and EJKs, as well as the Senate’s failure to prevent Dela Rosa from evading accountability while under its protection.
“This reflects a deeper pattern of impunity,” said Edgar Cabalitan, Secretary General of PAHRA.
Cabalitan said the situation shows how institutions are being used to shield political allies instead of ensuring justice for victims of human rights violations.
“The Senate should never function as a refuge for individuals facing serious international accountability processes,” he added. “Families of drug war victims continue to seek justice, while those implicated are being protected by political power.”
The groups also criticized senators who supported the leadership change, accusing them of prioritizing political survival over democratic accountability.
Cabalitan emphasized that accountability extends beyond direct perpetrators to those who enabled and sustained policies that led to widespread killings.
The protest action likewise reiterated calls for accountability from public officials who continue to defend or justify the Duterte administration’s bloody anti drug campaign, including impeached Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Justice cannot be selective, and accountability cannot stop with one person,” Cabalitan said. “Those who enabled, defended, or politically benefited from the killings must also answer to the Filipino people.”
Protesters reiterated their demand for full accountability for all officials implicated in extrajudicial killings and abuses under the Duterte administration, stressing that no political arrangement should override the rights of victims and their families.
“The demand for justice will not disappear with political maneuvering,” Cabalitan added. “Victims’ families deserve truth, accountability, and an end to impunity.”
