The Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) called for justice as they welcomed the recommendations of the House of Representatives Quad Committee to charge former President Rodrigo Duterte and several allies with crimes against humanity.
The charges are related to drug-related extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and politically motivated killings during Duterte’s administration.
“It would be the Christmas gift for Filipinos to hold accountable and to jail Duterte and his stooges,” said SCMP National Chairperson Kej Andres.
“For years, thousands of innocent families have long celebrated Christmas with missing family members as they were killed as suspected drug users. While developments from the Quad Committee are welcome, there is still the scar of losing the breadwinner among families and the economic effect of the drug war among poor families that will continue to haunt them this holiday season,” Andres said.
Panel findings and recommendations
The Quad Committee, led by Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace Barbers, presented a 43-page report implicating Duterte and former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chiefs Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Oscar Albayalde, and Debold Sinas in systematic extrajudicial killings.
The report also forwarded charges against Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, P/Colonels Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, and Palace aide Herminia “Muking” Espino.
The House adopted the report, which cited evidence and testimonies from 13 hearings. The findings point to violations under Republic Act 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
Duterte’s admissions during a November hearing, including the existence of a reward system for police officers involved in EJKs, were also noted.
“The former President unequivocally confirmed the existence of the reward system targeting drug personalities and using leftover campaign funds to finance and support the reward system, in contravention of Comelec rules concerning the return of excess campaign funds,” Barbers said.
The panel criticized Duterte’s claims about drug users to justify the killings, noting that his pronouncement of “four million drug users” was unsupported by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).
Call for broader accountability
SCMP said Duterte and his accomplices must also face justice for politically motivated killings, including the “Bloody Sunday” massacre in Southern Tagalog.
Debold Sinas, who was the PNP chief during the operation, has been linked to this and other incidents targeting activists and peasant leaders.
“Named figures such as President Duterte and former PNP Chief Sinas were also responsible for the string of massacres during the Duterte administration,” said Andres.
He cited testimonies from families of victims, including the widow of slain labor leader Manny Asuncion and the mother of slain activist Chai Lemita-Evangelista.
SCMP noted that during Duterte’s administration, there were over 30,000 drug-related EJKs, 442 politically related killings, and at least 26 massacres targeting marginalized communities.
Legislative Actions and Justice Reform
The Quad Committee’s report proposed several legislative measures, including:
- Classifying EJKs as heinous crimes.
- Prohibiting all forms of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
- Enabling civil forfeiture of unlawfully acquired properties by foreign nationals.
- Allowing administrative cancellation of fraudulent birth certificates.
The panel also recommended amending the Local Government Code, Anti-Money Laundering Act, and Witness Protection Act to address legal loopholes.
They proposed creating an inter-agency body to investigate EJKs and making the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service an independent agency.
“We hope that these hearings and testimonies would not be token investigations. As we are about to enter the new year, we hope to seek justice through meaningful and long-lasting reforms in the justice system that must be enforced as a step to stop the oppression against ordinary Filipinos,” Andres said.
