Facing a Senate probe for the first time, former President Rodrigo Duterte said he offered “no apologies, no excuses” for waging war against the drug menace, adding that he takes “full legal responsibility” for all the lives lost when policemen executed this controversial policy under his watch.
Duterte attended the Blue Ribbon subcommittee public hearing led by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III on Monday, addressing criticisms head-on while expressing firm commitment to his anti-narcotics policies.
“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, no excuses. I did what I had to do and whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country,” he said in his opening statement.
Recounting the original goal of his drug war, Duterte maintained that it was never about indiscriminate violence, but about safeguarding the innocent and preserving the nation’s social fabric. He likened the anti-drug campaign to other essential social causes.
Duterte claimed he viewed drug addiction as a health crisis, one that he attempted to address through rehabilitation efforts like those implemented in Davao City, where he personally oversaw the construction of a drug treatment facility during his tenure as mayor.
He said he advocated for rehabilitation, not fear of death of incarceration, as his preferred solution to reform drug addicts. Nevertheless, Duterte voiced his unyielding contempt for drug pushers and syndicates, referring to them as “demonizing elements” that ruin families and communities.
The former president believed his policies worked. He said he finds the criticisms against it rather “unfortunate” and claimed that “drug related crimes are on the rise again,” citing stories published in the media recently.
“Every day you can read about children being raped, people getting killed and robbed, and just recently a drug den was raided within the Malacañang complex. This clearly manifests that the purveyors of this menace are back in business.What are we doing about this?” he said.
Duterte then reflected on the guiding principles he imparted to law enforcement, advising officers to use lethal force only when their lives were at immediate risk. Citing his teaching days at a police academy, he said he urged officers to “overcome resistance” but “never to abuse their authority.”
“The Filipinos are anxious and distressed. Self-preservation is still the first law of nature. It is instinct. It is recognized in our laws as self-defense. That is why I have always told the police authorities and operatives to be mindful of this basic law of nature,” the former president stated.
“The duty of the police is to overcome the resistance if (the criminal) won’t surrender. And if he has a gun and if you feel—I told the police in the academy—that you’re going to die, shoot. Aim for the head, kill, at least one less criminal in the community—that’s my order,” he said.
Duterte argued it was an instruction built on the principle of ‘repelling aggression in self-defense.’ “Do not make orphans of your children and widows of your wives. I don’t want that in my conscience as mayor and president,” he recalled telling police officers.
Duterte said he accepts full responsibility for the outcomes of his directives, asserting that he alone would face the legal consequences for any actions officers took under his orders, sparing those who merely followed instructions.
“For all of its successes and shortcomings, I and I alone take full legal responsibility. All the actions taken by the police pursuant to my order, I hold myself accountable,” he said. Duterte closed his statement warning that “drugs will destroy the Filipino” and he would never allow it.
“Even if I am a government employee or private citizen, I will do what is necessary to protect my country, my community, and our children. This is a matter of principle, and I am willing to die for it,” Duterte concluded, thanking the committee for allowing him to speak on the issue.
