On Day 1 of the confirmation of charges hearing on the case of former President Rodrigo Duterte, one of the legal representatives of the alleged victims of extrajudicial killings noted how the “virus of impunity” plagued millions of Filipinos under the influence of the detained strongman.
Lawyer Joel Butuyan told the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber 1 that Duterte created “clones of himself” that continue to harass victims to this day and are further emboldened to spread hate despite his incarceration.
He lamented how Duterte “converted millions of peace-loving citizens into blood-thirsty disciples” who are convinced that “violence and killings are valid solutions to societal problems.”
“The killings masterminded by Mr. Duterte continue to have consequences for the victims, even to this day, because of his clones. These mini-Dutertes harass, threaten, or commit outright violence against the victims and their families,” Butuyan told judges.
Duterte is facing three counts of crimes against humanity charges over thousands of questionable deaths under his so-called ‘war on drugs’ during his long years of service as Davao City mayor and the first half of his presidency.
