Sangwon's Claim of Legitimacy
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asserted the legitimacy of his "War on Drugs" implemented during his tenure, stating that he "will not apologize."
According to local media Philippine Star and AFP on the 28th, Duterte appeared before the Senate investigation committee on the War on Drugs and said, "There will be no apologies or excuses, so do not question my policies."
He added, "I did what needed to be done for the country," and "I hate drugs and do not make mistakes regarding this matter."
This is the first time since his retirement in 2022 that former President Duterte has testified before Congress about the War on Drugs.
The investigation also marked the first time he faced the families of victims who claim they were innocently killed by police during anti-drug operations.
Duterte said, "Police have the right to protect themselves when their lives are threatened," and "I will take full legal and moral responsibility for police actions carried out under my orders."
From shortly after his inauguration in 2016, Duterte launched nationwide anti-drug operations, allowing police to shoot suspects if their lives were threatened.
Police have reported over 6,000 deaths during the War on Drugs, but human rights groups claim that tens of thousands were extrajudicially killed without evidence of drug involvement.
So far, only nine Philippine police officers have been convicted for killing drug suspects.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) classified the Philippine War on Drugs as a crime against humanity in 2021 and approved a formal investigation by the prosecutor's office.
Prior to this, when the ICC prosecutor's office began a preliminary investigation into the War on Drugs in 2018, the Duterte administration abruptly withdrew from the ICC in 2019.
Ferdinand Marcos, the current Philippine president, has also expressed his intention to reject the ICC investigation, but recent trends suggest a shift in attitude.
In the 2022 presidential election, President Marcos and the Duterte family formed a strong political alliance, but they have recently experienced serious conflicts.
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