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MANILA, Philippines — It is misleading for Vice President Sara Duterte to say her father did not threaten victims during his presidency, when his drug war campaign was marked by brutal orders to kill even rights defenders.
Throughout his presidency, Rodrigo Duterte made numerous public statements encouraging violence against drug suspects and those who defended their right to due process.
Speaking at a June 25 press conference, Sara argued that her father should be granted interim release from the International Criminal Court, as he has no means to intimidate victims or interfere with witnesses while being in another country.
“Noong siya ay pangulo nga, hindi niya thrineaten ang mga biktima. Pangulo siya, meron siyang power and authority. Ngayon pa na nasa loob siya ng detention unit, lalo pa ‘pag nasa ibang bansa siya na unreachable ang mga tao sa Pilipinas,” she said.
(When he was president, he didn’t even threaten the victims. He was president, he had power and authority. Now that he’s inside a detention unit, all the more when he’s in another country unreachable to the people in the Philippines.)
RATING: This is misleading.
Facts
While in office, Rodrigo made multiple unrelenting declarations, instructing police to “shoot to kill” drug offenders while openly dismissing their human rights.
“My order is shoot to kill you. … I don’t care about human rights, you better believe me,” Rodrigo said against politicians involved in illegal drugs on Aug. 5, 2016.
About a year later, he said he would order the police to also target those who try to protect suspected drug offenders, so they could “see what kind of human rights” violations really look like.
“Sabihin mo, ‘Pulis, barilin mo na ‘yang kasali diyan’ (Tell them, ‘Police, shoot those who are part of it’). If they are obstructing justice, you shoot them,” Rodrigo said on Aug. 16, 2017.
In 2018, the former president even admitted that the drug war’s extrajudicial killings “are his only sin,” denying corruption allegations against him.
“What are your sins? Me? I told the military 'what are my sins?' Did I steal money? Even just one peso? Did I prosecute somebody I sent to jail? Ang kasalanan ko lang ‘yung mga extrajudicial killing (My only sin is extrajudicial killings),” he said at the oath taking of government officials in Malacañang on Sept. 27, 2018.
Rodrigo also called to kill members of the clergy in December 2018 for the Church’s opposition to his drug war and policies. There have been rights groups, bishops and Catholic church leaders who offered help to the families of EJK victims, one of whom is Father Flavie Villanueva, who established Program Paghilom.
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David was also one of the fiercest critics of the drug war during Rodrigo’s presidency. Officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines also objected to the deadly war on drugs and branded it as “evil.”
“These bishops, kill them. They are useless fools. All they do is criticize,” Duterte said in mixed English and Filipino in December 2018.
He confessed this again, entering his third year as president, saying he had already killed many and that there would be more, as he is only just starting.
“Patay? Ah marami akong pinatay. Marami pa. Ngayon mag-umpisa ako. (Killing? I’ve killed many. More. I am just beginning),” Rodrigo said on Feb. 26, 2019 after a video criticizing the administration went viral.
Whether or not he genuinely recognized victims, the former president has since shown no remorse for running a bloodbath of a campaign against illegal drugs during his presidency.
In the Senate’s only hearing on the drug war on Oct. 28, 2024, Rodrigo said he would eliminate all suspected criminals if given another shot at power.
“If I’m given another chance, I’ll wipe all of you,” he said.
Rodrigo's violent language instilled fear far beyond drug suspects, according to rights groups and analysts, with lawyers and journalists among those he openly threatened. Dismissing his statements as jokes or political rhetoric does not change the reality that they caused Filipinos to fear for their lives.
So for his daughter, the vice president, to claim that he had not threatened or intimidated victims, which include the families and loved ones of those killed in the drug war, is ultimately misleading.
Why we fact-checked this
Rodrigo is facing crimes against humanity charges for his violent approach to criminal activities when he was Davao City mayor and president.
He has been detained in The Hague, Netherlands, since he was arrested in March with the help of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
During his initial appearance on March 14, the Pre-Trial Chamber read the charges against him, which include at least 43 murders.
Nineteen of these were alleged drug pushers or thieves killed by the Davao Death Squad when Rodrigo was mayor, while the other 24 alleged drug pushers were executed by law enforcement during the first half of his presidency from 2016 to 2019.
The Duterte camp has requested an interim release for the former president, arguing medical concerns and promising he is no longer a flight risk and threat to the victims or witnesses.
Both the ICC prosecutor and the victims, however, have asked the Pre-Trial Chamber to reject the request to temporarily free Rodrigo, explaining he maintains a strong political influence and has long defied the tribunal’s jurisdiction.
His family and allies, particularly Sara, have been seeking international support for his release and looking for a host country willing to accept him should the court approve it. One of the most recent rallies was held in Melbourne, Australia.
She even criticized the ICC for providing the option to request for interim release in the Rome Statute if this legal remedy isn’t used.
The ICC is particular when it grants temporary release to an accused, requiring strict conditions. The Pre-Trial Chamber has not yet decided on Rodrigo’s request.
His confirmation of charges hearing is set for September 23. The prosecution will present evidence to establish grounds for trial, while the defense will attempt to have the case thrown out.
