FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte responded to the call of House committee on human rights chair Rep. Bienvenido Abante to remember the victims of “tokhang” and hazing during the Undas 2024
Abante urged that justice be served for those who lost their lives due to tokhang.
In an interview with reporters on Saturday evening at his parents’ tomb, Duterte reaffirmed his support for the police as he said operatives do not simply shoot without reason. The former president revealed his deep anger towards illegal drugs and other crimes, as youth are often the primary targets.
In a recent Senate hearing on the drug war, Duterte remained unapologetic in his strong campaign against illegal drugs, emphasizing his lifelong commitment to the nation’s welfare and expressing his unwavering patriotism and love for the Filipino people.
The former president was invited by the Blue Ribbon subcommittee on the Philippine war on illegal drugs, chaired by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel II probe the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs program on Monday, Oct. 28.
“I’d like to start by stating that my mandate as president of the republic was to protect the country and the Filipino people. Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies or excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country,” Duterte said.
“The war on illegal drugs is not about killing people; it is about protecting the innocent and defenseless. It is about eradicating illegal substances such as shabu, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, party drugs, and others. This menace ruins people, families, and communities, tearing apart the social fabric that binds society together in peace, harmony, and brotherhood.
It is not unlike other slogans that call for a better future, such as the war on waste, war on corruption, and war against climate change.
I have always viewed individuals addicted to illegal drugs as victims in need of medical care, not as criminals. That is why the slogan for the war on drugs was coined as a message to the people of Davao City to stay away from illegal drugs. At the same time, I constructed a drug rehabilitation facility in Davao City.
Duterte said, “This facility, funded by the city government, is staffed by city doctors, psychiatrists, nurses, and health workers dedicated to the complete rehabilitation of those addicted to illegal drugs. I believed then, and I still believe now, that rehabilitation—rather than fear of death or incarceration—is the key to reintegrating addicted individuals into a just and forgiving society.”
“Make no mistake about it: I hate drugs. I loathe the purveyors, merchants, and pushers of this destructive element. I have consistently emphasized this throughout my campaign when I ran for president in 2016,” Duterte said.
This was my covenant with the Filipino people: to believe in me, and to this day, we must agree on what my government has achieved. Unfortunately, drug-related crimes are on the rise again. Every day, we hear about children being raped, people getting killed, and robberies occurring.
