Duterte visits wake of landslide victims after Senate appearance

Photos courtesy of OVP

Photos courtesy of OVP

A day after appearing at the Senate investigation on the war on drugs, former president Rodrigo Duterte visited Tuesday the wake of victims of the October 24  landslide in Barangay Sampaloc, Talisay, Batangas.

Photos courtesy of OVP

Photos courtesy of OVPPhotos provided by the Office of the Vice President showed Duterte condoling with families of those who died in the landslide during the onslaught of severe tropical storm Kristine.

Photos courtesy of OVP

A team from the Office of the Vice President’s Special Projects Division and Public Assistance Division joined Duterte during the visit, in which burial assistance was given tothe affected families.

Photos courtesy of OVP

Duterte also went with the OVP Disaster Operation Center's Relief Operations in evacuation centers in Talisay and Laurel.

The former president earlier defended his deadly drug war, saying he had “no apologies and no excuses” for the campaign which left more than 6,000 people dead. 

 Rights groups estimate tens of thousands of mostly poor men were killed by officers and vigilantes, often without proof they were linked to drugs.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating allegations that the killings were a state-sanctioned "crime against humanity".

During his Senate testimony, Duterte said he will take sole responsibility for the administration’s anti-drug policy but denied ordering police to do anything illegal. 

He also admitted having a “death squad” but claimed these were made up of rich people in Davao City who were not paid.