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'I did it not for me': Duterte says he waged war on drugs 'for the Filipino'

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Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Rodrigo Duterte presides over a meeting at the Malacañang Palace on Nov. 29, 2021. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/11/30/20211129-duterte-iatf-medical-experts-mnib10-2.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte presides over a meeting at the Malacañang Palace on Nov. 29, 2021. King Rodriguez, Presidential Photo/File </figcaption></figure></div><div> </div><p>MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he waged war on narcotics, leaving thousands dead and drawing scrutiny from the International Criminal Court, &quot;not for me&quot;, but &quot;for the Filipino.&quot; <br/> <br/>In a speech before the anti-insurgency task force in Zamboanga City, Duterte said the ICC wanted to &quot;jail&quot; him. He told the court, &quot;F*** you.&quot; </p><p>&quot;I am a Filipino, I did it not for me. I never claimed credit or said that I am doing this for me and my family. Killing? Anong makukuha ko sa killing? Why? Would it benefit my pocket?&quot; the President said. </p><p>(What will I get from killing?)</p><p>&quot;Would it improve my quality of life, na pagkatapos kong pagka-Presidente? Ayoko na lang magsalita, but ginawa ko ‘tong lahat para sa Pilipino... Ginawa ko kasi trabaho ko. I promised it,&quot; he added. </p><p>(Would it improve my quality of life, after my presidency? I don&#x27;t want to talk anymore, but I did all these for the Filipino. I did it because it is my job.) </p><p>More than 6,000 people have been killed in over 200,000 anti-drug operations conducted since July 2016, according to official data. Human rights groups estimate the number of people killed could be several times higher.<br/> <br/>Philippine authorities say the killings were in self-defense and that the ICC has no right to meddle.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/16/21/philippines-wont-cooperate-with-icc-drug-war-probe">Philippines will not cooperate with ICC probe of &#x27;war on drugs&#x27; - Duterte aide</a></li></ul><p>The ICC prosecutor&#x27;s office recently suspended the drug war probe at Manila&#x27;s request. Court documents released by the ICC and confirmed by Philippine officials showed that Manila filed the deferral request on Nov. 10, citing the country&#x27;s own investigations into drug war killings.</p><p>&quot;The prosecution has temporarily suspended its investigative activities while it assesses the scope and effect of the deferral request,&quot; ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan wrote, adding that it would seek additional information from the Philippines.</p><p>Governments can ask the ICC to defer a case if they are implementing their own investigations and prosecutions for the same acts.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/20/21/icc-hold-on-ph-drug-war-probe-part-of-due-process">ICC suspension of PH drug war probe &#x27;part of due process&#x27;— advocates</a></li></ul><p>Duterte, 76, pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in 2018. The ICC maintains it has jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed while Manila was a member up until 2019.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/22/21/duterte-icc-probe-bullshit-drug-war">Duterte calls ICC drug probe ‘bulls**t’, says he won’t defend self before ‘white people’</a></li></ul><p>A Philippine lawyers group called on the ICC not to remove the glimmer of hope for families of drug-war victims.</p><p>&quot;We ask the ICC not to allow itself to be swayed by the claims now being made by the Duterte administration,&quot; the National Union of People&#x27;s Lawyers, which represents some victims&#x27; families, said in a statement.</p><p>The Philippine justice system is &quot;extremely slow and unavailing to the majority of poor and unrepresented victims&quot;, it said.</p><p>Human Rights Watch said the government&#x27;s claim that existing domestic mechanisms afford citizens justice was absurd. &quot;Let&#x27;s hope the ICC sees through the ruse that it is,&quot; Brad Adam, its Asia director, said in a statement. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/11/23/21/anger-among-ph-drug-war-victims-kin-as-icc-suspends-probe">Anger among PH drug war victims&#x27; families as ICC suspends probe</a></li></ul><div><strong>— With a report from Reuters </strong></div><div><strong> RELATED VIDEO: </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1819889" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

President Rodrigo Duterte said he waged war on narcotics for the sake of the Filipino people. 

'I did it not for me': Duterte says he waged war on drugs 'for the Filipino'

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'I did it not for me': Duterte says he waged war on drugs 'for the Filipino'

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 02, 2021 09:15 PM PHT

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Rodrigo Duterte

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Duterte ICC

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