“It’s a telenovela that is nothing to be proud of.”
There is an allegation that the Duterte administration mounted extra judicial killings patterned after the killings done by the infamous Davao Death Squad of former President Rodrigo Duterte when he was mayor. This was to eliminate everyone suspected of dealing in illegal drugs. The revelation has sparked a renewed inquiry into the brutal war on illegal drugs.
Royina Garma, a former police lieutenant colonel who became Philippine Charity Sweepstakes general manager, told the Quad Committee of the House of Representatives that during Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, members of the Philippine National Police were rewarded with as much as a million pesos to kill personalities involved in illegal drugs. This allegation sparked questions on who were involved and to what extent. Where did the buck stop?
In view of the fact that the image of the PNP could be tarnished, PNP General Rommel Francisco Marbil launched an investigation into what happened during the incumbency of former police chiefs starting with Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, implementor of the brutal and bloody war on illegal drugs. According to police records, more than 6,000 suspected personalities involved in illegal drugs were killed. But, my gulay, unofficial estimates reached as high as 28,000, Santa Banana.
It was during the time of dela Rosa that the PNP launched “tokhang” and “double-barrel” campaigns. This was when the killing spree of the police began, claiming the suspects fought back (nanlaban). Duterte himself had ordered the police to “kill, kill, kill” anybody involved in illegal drugs which included drug addicts and users.
Police chiefs who succeeded “Bato” were Oscar Albayalde, Archie Gamboa, the late Camilo Cascolan, Debold Sinas, Guillermo Eleazar, Dionardo Carlos and Vicente Danao Jr. It would be interesting to know what happened during their time.
All those involved were those close to Duterte, like Bato himself. In other words, the accountability could go up as high as the former president.
Now comes the question on how far all these investigations will implicate Duterte. As far as the findings of the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee is concerned, its official report cannot be used by the ICC. Still, other evidence like documents and testimonies could be.
The interesting part of it all is that as alleged, the Duterte administration followed the pattern of the Davao Death Squad by rewarding the killers with money. It was already admitted that allowances were given. So were these allowances rewards by any other name?
All these make for interesting reading, but how far can they go?
Can it make President Marcos Jr. rejoin the Rome Statute that created the ICC? Recall that Duterte and Bato are prominently mentioned by the ICC as having committed crimes against humanity. And will the allegation that they gave monetary reward to cops be the last nail in the Duterte-dela Rosa coffin?
This is all beginning to look like a teleserye. But it is nothing to be proud of, and whether the former president likes it or not, he will go down in history as the Chief Executive who was responsible for the death of thousands who were supposedly involved in illegal drugs.
By the way, in BBM’s recalibrated campaign against illegal drugs, we should not forget that so long as there are still seizures of shabu nationwide, drugs are still very much around.
