“The hearings are slowly but surely unmasking the interconnection between the killings, POGOs, and smuggling in Davao.”
The House Quad Committee hearing on November 13 was a significant event, highlighting the ongoing controversies and unresolved issues surrounding the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration and its aggressive anti-drug campaign. Duterte’s call for the International Criminal Court to expedite its investigation, as well as his admission of human rights violations, were particularly noteworthy, given his previous stance on the drug war.
Duterte urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to expedite its investigation into the killings associated with his war on drugs and the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS). When asked by Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas if he was prepared to face the ICC, Duterte responded that he wanted the ICC to “hurry up” with the investigation, expressing concern that he might die before he is investigated.
Reacting to Duterte’s statement, Kabataan Partylist national spokesperson and first nominee Renee Co said: “The prime suspect is presenting himself to the ICC on a silver platter. There is no sensible reason for the Marcos Jr. administration to drop the ball now and delay victims and their kin from claiming a measure of justice that was long deprived from them.”
The Marcos administration has expressed that it would not block an ICC investigation although it will not extend officially to cooperate with the tribunal.
Duterte’s potential trial has sparked significant debate. He has openly challenged the ICC to expedite its investigation into his administration’s war on drugs, expressing a willingness to face the charges before he dies. However, he has also expressed a preference for being tried in a Filipino court rather than by the ICC, which he has dismissed as a “silly court.”
Duterte has proposed the creation of a special court in the Philippines to handle his trial, arguing that Filipino courts should judge his actions. This proposal has been met with skepticism, with critics arguing that it could be a tactic to shield him from accountability. The legal and political landscape surrounding Duterte’s potential trial remains complex, with ongoing debates about the appropriate venue for justice.
During the same hearing, tensions flared between Duterte and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. Trillanes, a staunch critic of Duterte, presented evidence alleging that Duterte and his family were involved in large-scale narcotics operations, including suspicious bank transactions amounting to billions of pesos. Trillanes challenged Duterte to sign a bank secrecy waiver to allow scrutiny of his accounts. In response, Duterte lost his temper, threatened to slap Trillanes, and even grabbed a microphone as if to throw it at him. The hearing had to be momentarily suspended to calm the situation. Duterte later apologized for his behavior.
Trillanes presented bank documents and paper trails reportedly showing that Duterte and his family received significant amounts of money from drug lords, including Michael Yang. He alleged that over ₱2.4 billion was transferred to the Duterte family’s accounts from 2007 to 2015.
Trillanes has repeatedly challenged Duterte to sign a bank secrecy waiver to allow scrutiny of his accounts. He claimed that over ₱2.4 billion was transferred to the Duterte family’s accounts from 2007 to 2015. Trillanes argued that these transactions were linked to drug lords and were part of a broader scheme to protect Duterte’s alleged drug syndicate.
If true, this will corroborate the accusation that the drug war was but a ruse to monopolize the drug trade in the country and rake in billions of drug money for Duterte and his Mafia-like syndicate composed of family members and his Filipino and Chinese partners.
What is remarkable about these hearings is that they are slowly but surely unmasking the interconnection between the killings, POGOs, and smuggling in Davao, giving credence to the accusations of Duterte’s fiercest critics that Duterte is the brains behind a colossal criminal enterprise based in Davao.
Duterte made a notable statement regarding human rights. When questioned by Manila 6th District Representative Benny Abante Jr., Duterte admitted that his administration’s war on drugs had indeed resulted in numerous deaths, including those of innocent individuals. He acknowledged the human rights violations that occurred and expressed regret over the loss of innocent lives. Representative Abante, who had campaigned for Duterte in 2016, expressed his disappointment over the high number of casualties and emphasized the need for accountability and justice for the victims.
Former Senator Leila de Lima also attended the hearing as a resource person. De Lima, a vocal critic of Duterte, had been detained for nearly seven years on drug charges, which she claimed were fabricated to silence her opposition. The hearing was notable for the tense interactions between Duterte and De Lima, who were seated beside each other. Duterte made several antagonistic remarks towards De Lima, including denying that he knew her, despite their previous encounters. De Lima maintained her composure and refuted the accusations against her, emphasizing that she had been cleared of all drug charges.
An interesting sidelight in the hearing was the facial reactions of De Lima aide Rachelyn Montero. She represented many of us in that hearing.
Duterte’s bravado and hubris, so characteristic of him, is a veritable trap that will snag him and his co-conspirators deeper into the rut. His uncontrolled mouth is proving to be a nightmare for his co-defendants and his would-be counsel. Well, this might as well be because the accusations are so horribly serious that the thousands of victims cry out in the heavens for justice.
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