House Committee Recommends Crimes Against Humanity Charges Against Duterte and Associates

The House Quad Committee has recommended filing crimes against humanity charges against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senators Christopher Lawrence Go and Ronald Dela Rosa, and several police officials linked to the alleged extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s drug war. The recommendation came after extensive hearings into the killings, illegal drugs, and illegal Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs). The committee’s 43-page progress report, presented by Chair Robert Ace Barbers, was adopted by the House of Representatives during a plenary session. The charges are to be pursued under Section 6 of Republic Act 9851, which addresses crimes against international humanitarian law, genocide, and other crimes against humanity. Other officials implicated include former PNP chiefs Oscar David Albayalde and Debold Sinas, P/Colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, and Palace aide Herminia “Muking” Espino. Duterte admitted during a hearing to key elements of his drug war, including the Davao Death Squad and a reward system for police involved in the killings. He also took full legal responsibility for the drug war. The report criticized Duterte’s claim of four million drug users as baseless, noting only a slight decline in drug use during his term. Former Senator Leila De Lima emphasized that systematic killings under the drug war constitute crimes against humanity. Testimonies revealed the ‘Davao Model,’ which allegedly rewarded police for EJKs, and the execution of three Chinese drug lords on Duterte’s orders. The committee also uncovered links between POGOs and illegal activities, including drug smuggling involving Duterte’s allies. Legislative recommendations include classifying EJKs as a heinous crime, banning POGOs, enabling civil forfeiture of illegally acquired properties, and allowing administrative cancellation of fraudulent birth certificates. The report also calls for amendments to various laws and the revival of the death penalty for drug-related offenses, alongside the creation of an inter-agency body to investigate EJKs and an independent Internal Affairs for the PNP.