Philippine President Assumes “Full Responsibility” for Drug War

President Rodrigo Duterte claims he is responsible for the mass killings of Filipinos in his administration’s anti-drug campaign (Flickr).

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared on October 21 that he assumes full responsibility for the country’s drug war. While Duterte has framed the conflict as a crusade against drug dealers, the campaign has caused more than 12,000 deaths, predominantly of poor Filipinos in urban areas.

The systematic killings are a continuation of Duterte’s policies before his presidency. As mayor of Davao City, he used the city’s police force to facilitate the mass killings of drug suspects. In turn, Duterte made his anti-drug crackdown one of the central issues of his presidential campaign.

“If I make it to the presidential palace I will do just what I did as mayor. You drug pushers, holdup men, and do-nothings, you better get out because I'll kill you,” Duterte said in a speech the night before his election.

Under significant pressure from the United Nations, the government’s justice ministry announced that it will review the incidents, including at least 2,555 systematic killings by the Philippine National Police. In its probe, the Justice Department found that police did not track relevant police and medical records, used disproportionate force, and shot suspects, many of whom were unarmed, from close range. 

“[The DOJ probe] appears to indicate progress in investigating and eventually making those responsible liable. But… the sound of the trumpeting elephant in the room bellows: why are these extrajudicial killings happening in the first place and why are a puny number of ‘erring police officers’ taking the fall all alone even at this very overdue time?” said Edre Olalia, chair of the National People’s Union of Lawyers.

The police killings could be considered crimes against humanity, which, under the Geneva Conventions, include “murder, extermination,” and “other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population.”

In late September, The International Criminal Court (ICC), initiated an investigation into the killings that occurred between Duterte’s oath of office in 2016 to 2019, when the Philippine government left the jurisdiction of the ICC. Analysts say the decision to leave the ICC was motivated by Duterte’s desire to shield his administration from international prosecution. 

In the wake of the ICC investigation, Duterte has defended his administration’s crackdown. “I will repeat what I have said before: if you destroy my country and you destroy the young people by feeding them with drugs, you destroy the future,” Duterte said. “If you destroy the country, I will kill you.”

Duterte has denied the possibility of submitting to an international court, claiming that he will only face the judgement of a Philippine Court. 

However, it is highly likely that Duterte will avoid domestic charges. Duterte’s allies control both the House and the Senate. Also, given the upcoming 2022 elections, it is highly likely that the current president will endorse the presidential candidacy of top aides, such as his former Chief of Police Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, his former advisor-turned-senator Christopher “Bong” Go, or his daughter Sara Duterte, to succeed him so that Duterte can avoid legal culpability.