Duterte’s arrest exposes brutality, failures of drug war; Makabayan NCR pushes for rehab, rights-based solutions

“Drug problem needs solutions, not killings,” councilor-aspirants under Makabayan National Capital Region (NCR) stated.

In a press conference held at the Commission on Human Rights, they lauded the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, emphasizing that it is long overdue amid the rampant human rights violations (HRV) and extrajudicial killings (EJK) in his bloody war on drugs.

Even before Duterte assumed the presidency in 2016, he was known for his militaristic anti-drug and anti-crime policies as the mayor of Davao City. As a local mayor, his administration was already marred by numerous HRVs linked to the infamous Davao Death Squad (DDS), a vigilante group responsible for thousands of killings of small-time drug suspects and criminals.

Duterte even openly admitted to his involvement in the killings in Davao in 2015 just before officially announcing his presidential candidacy, saying: “Am I the death squad? True. That is true.”

Such a glaring statement indicates Duterte’s punitive approach to the anti-drug campaign was already in full force at the local level long before he became president.

This pattern of systematic killings became a key basis for the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation that focused on Duterte’s alleged crimes against humanity.

Although the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019 following Duterte’s attempt to evade accountability, the ICC retains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the country was still a state party. This allows the investigation into Duterte’s role in both the Davao Death Squad killings and the nationwide drug war to continue.

On March 11, Duterte was arrested and is currently in ICC custody in the Netherlands awaiting trial for crimes against humanity.

Beyond the drug war

“Hindi lang giyera kontra-droga ang ginawa ni Duterte, giyera niya ito laban sa mga maralita,” said Quezon City District 4 councilor-aspirant Lorevie Caalaman.

[Duterte did not just wage a war on drugs; he waged a war against the poor]

The implementation of Executive Order 70 to institutionalize a whole-of-nation approach has intensified state repression under the guise of addressing insurgency. It was designed in a bid to “address the roots of insurgency” through focused military operations (FMO) and retooled community support program (RSCPO) operations across the country. This also paved the establishment of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Caalaman emphasized that this order has only led to militarization, red-tagging, and repression among dissenters, schools, and communities, especially in NCR.

“Yung mga EJKs sa mga urban poor communities tulad sa Payatas, Commonwealth, Lupang Pangako, Novalichez. Yung mga pagpatay ay maaaring riding-in-tandem, quota-based ng mga pulis, iyan naman ang mga iskema ng EJK sa panahon ni Duterte,” Caalaman added.

[The EJKs in urban poor communities like Payatas, Commonwealth, Lupang Pangako, and Novaliches followed specific patterns carried out by riding-in-tandem assailants or driven by police quota systems. These were the schemes of EJKs under Duterte’s rule.]

She also lambasted the so-called “peace forums” held in schools led by state authorities in partnership with school administration which were used as platforms for red-tagging.

Caalaman reiterated that Duterte must also be held accountable following his weaponization of the law through his implemented policies like the EO 70, NTF-ELCAC, and the Anti-Terrorism Law.

In Metro Manila, the crackdown against activists through search warrants escalated in 2019 and 2020, including the 2019 arrest of Tondo 3 and the arrest of the Human Rights Day 7 (HRD7) in 2020. All of which transpired under Duterte’s watch.

Meanwhile, rights group KARAPATAN stressed that Duterte is responsible for the EJKs of 422 political activists and the attempted killings of 544 others.

Addressing drug issue as a health, education crisis

Makabayan NCR underscored the need for harm reduction and rehabilitation strategies instead of implementing a punitive approach to anti-drug and anti-crime policies.

“Noong panahon ni Duterte, ang mga programa talaga niya ay militaristiko. Mula sa pagtugon sa pandemya hanggang sa giyera kontra-droga. Pero ano bang dapat gawin ng gobyerno, kailangan magkaroon ng edukasyon muna,” said Eduardo Gado, running councilor for District 1 in Tondo, Manila.

[During Duterte’s term, his programs were undeniably militaristic from handling the pandemic to the war on drugs. But what should the government really do? It must start with education first]

Gado stressed that addressing the drug problem should be seen as a public health and education emergency rather than a criminal issue.

Muntinlupa City District 1 councilor-aspirant Eleazar Anaya further emphasized the need for strengthening partnerships with local government units (LGU).

Instead of treating drug users as criminals, Anaya demands an increase in government-funded rehabilitation centers with proper medical and psychological support to ensure accessibility for marginalized communities.

“Sa Muntinlupa ay mayroong programang Adolescent Health Development kung saan nagco-conduct ng mga intensive discussions sa mga komunidad at barangay para magkaroon ng awareness sa mga usapin tulad ng drug abuse, teenage pregnancy at iba pa. Naniniwala ako na kailangan ugatin natin ang pagtugon sa problema, kung may ugat man, iyon ang pagiging aware. Edukasyon pa rin talaga ang ugat para magkaroon ng awareness sa mga kabataan tungkol sa drug prevention,” said Anaya.

[In Muntinlupa, there is an Adolescent Health Development program that conducts intensive discussions in communities and barangays to raise awareness on issues such as drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, and more. I believe that addressing the problem requires getting to its root, and that root is awareness. Education remains the key to raising awareness among the youth about drug prevention]

Beyond treatment and rehabilitation, Caalaman seconded the necessity of promoting education in preventing substance abuse. In Quezon City, she said her team is set to pilot “Serbisyong Caalaman” which is a grassroots initiative designed to foster youth formations to lead awareness discussions in communities.

“Syempre, sa pagpapatuloy nito, sa pamamagitan ng awareness, nalalaman nila ang kailangan nilang gawin at ang karapatan nila kung paano uunlad at kung paano makatutulong sa kanilang mga komunidad,” said Caalaman.

[Of course, as this continues, through awareness, they learn what they need to do and their rights as to how they can progress and contribute to their communities]

According to Caalaman, parental and community involvement is also encouraged to create a supportive environment that enables open conversations and helps destigmatize crucial issues such as drug problems.

To cap the presser, Makabayan NCR called on the Marcos Jr. administration to go beyond opportunistic political maneuvers and implement genuine reforms that address the root causes of drug-related issues in the country.

“Yung pagkaaresto ni Duterte sa ICC ay isang hakbang sa pagkamit ng mga biktima ang hustisya, ngunit nagpapatuloy pa rin naman ang mga EJK sa ilalim ng administrasyong Marcos Jr. kung kaya hindi natatapos ang ating panawagan na itigil na ang represyon at pagpaslang,” said Gerardo Serue of Makabayan NCR.

[Duterte’s arrest by the ICC is a step toward justice for the victims, but EJKs continue under the Marcos Jr. administration. This is why our demand to end repression and killings remains urgent]

According to the Dahas Project, at least 920 drug-related killings have already been recorded under Marcos Jr.’s watch.

Serue noted the following demands to address the country’s drug-related issues:

• Reallocate funds to health and social welfare. Rechanelling of funds from NTF-ELCAC and militarized anti-drug operations toward health-based responses such as rehabilitation, mental health services, and social reintegration programs.

• Stop red-tagging. Promote drug awareness and education programs in schools and communities that do not become platforms for harassment and red-tagging.

• Abolish NTF-ELCAC, Anti-Terror Act. The Marcos Jr. administration must repeal these repressive policies that only enable HRVs.

Makabayan NCR further urged communities, educators, healthcare professionals, and lawmakers to support their demand for a rights and solutions-based approach to addressing drug-related issues and continuing state repression.