Jamaine Punzalan

Former President Rodrigo Duterte testifies at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on extrajudicial killings, October 28, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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RODRIGO-DUTERTE

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173457771481420241028-senate hearing-duterte-MT-27.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former President Rodrigo Duterte testifies at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on extrajudicial killings, October 28, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA --- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday that the Department of Justice had to assess the House of Representatives quad committee&#x27;s recommendation to file criminal complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies for the alleged killings in his war on drugs.</p><p>&quot;The DOJ has to make an assessment. May recommendation ang quad comm, ganoon naman talaga ang proseso. When they do an oversight hearing, mayroon silang findings, ifo-forward nila ngayon sa DOJ,&quot; Marcos told reporters.</p><p>&quot;We go now to DOJ. The DOJ will look at it and see if it is time to file cases, what cases to file, how to produce the evidence. We will need to actually build the case up. Titingnan pa &#x27;yan, marami pang kailangan pang i-assess nang mabuti,&quot; he added. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/18/quad-comm-recommends-criminal-raps-vs-ex-president-duterte-bato-go-over-alleged-ejks-1847">Quad comm recommends criminal raps vs ex-President Duterte, Bato, Go over alleged EJKs</a></div><p>In its progress report, the quad comm said Duterte, and his former top aides Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; dela Rosa and Christopher &quot;Bong&quot; Go — both now senators seeking reelection — as well as former police chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Debold Sinas should face complaints for crimes against humanity.</p><p>Similar charges have been recommended against former police officers Royina Garma and Edilberto Leonardo, and Palace aide Herminia &quot;Muking&quot; Espino.</p><p>&quot;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,&quot; quad committee lead chairperson and Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/14/duterte-s-quad-comm-remarks-on-drug-war-have-inconsistencies-de-lima-lawmaker-843">Duterte’s quad comm remarks on drug war have ‘inconsistencies’: De Lima, lawmaker</a></div><p>The Department of Justice said it would study all documents and evidence that the quad comm would include in its committee report. </p><p>DOJ Undersecretary Jesse Andres said the quad comm’s report would be consolidated with the findings of the agency’s task force on extrajudicial killings. He said cases would be filed “if the evidence warrants.” </p><p>“Pag-aaralan nang mabuti ng Department of Justice National Prosecution Service ang lahat ng dokumento, ebidensya na ie-elevate ng ating quad comm doon sa kanilang committee report that could possibly implicate people on crimes (against) humanity or international humanitarian law,” Andres said.  </p><p>“Meron na po tayong naunang naitatag na task force on extrajudicial killings at nagsimula na rin itong kumalap ng ebidensya at iko-consolidate po natin lahat ng ebidensya kasama nitong bagong committee report dahil dito po sa quad comm hearings. Marami pong mga importante at mahahalagang impormasyon at pagsisiwalat at ebidensya at mismong pag-amin na posibleng pagsimulan ng mas malalim pang pagsusuri at pagkalap ng ebidensya.</p><p>He added, “Kami po ay nakakasiguro na hindi po kami magfa-file ng any harassment case but when the evidence warrants o kung meron tayong sapat na ebidensya, we will hold people accountable.” </p><p>Andres added there would be an “extensive case build up effort” as the NBI might issue subpoenas to witnesses in the quad comm and gather affidavits.</p><p>Andres pointed out resource persons in the quad comm have given “revealing information” and “self-incriminating admissions.”</p><p>“All these will be evaluated and we will do thorough follow-up investigation and case build-up,” Andres said. </p><p>Asked if former President Rodrigo Duterte would be subpoenaed, Andres said, “We will look into that possibility. But as of now, there are already admissions on record made by the former president and that is evidence that is admissible because this is all under oath and in a public proceeding.”</p><p>“Definitely the past presidents, and I am referring to anybody, all past presidents are no longer immune from suit. Only the sitting president is immune from any legal suit during his term,” he noted. </p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABR-4jrILc_7wHQ1&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script><p>Police said the campaign left more than 6,000 people dead, but rights groups estimate tens of thousands of mostly poor men were killed by officers and vigilantes, often without proof they were linked to drugs.</p><p>The International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating allegations that the killings were a state-sanctioned &quot;crime against humanity&quot;.</p><p>&quot;Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether or not you believe it or not, I did it for my country,&quot; Duterte, 79, said in a Senate hearing in October.</p><p>&quot;I hate drugs, make no mistake about it.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/14/marcos-says-gov-t-won-t-help-nor-stop-icc-probe-on-duterte-drug-war-1253">Marcos says gov’t won’t help nor stop ICC probe on Duterte drug war</a></div><p>During the anti-drug campaign he launched shortly after taking office in 2016, Duterte ordered police to shoot dead suspects if officers believed their lives were in danger.</p><p>While the crackdown has been widely condemned and sparked an international investigation, only nine police officers have been convicted for killing drug suspects.</p><p>The drug war has continued under Duterte&#x27;s successor, Marcos Jr., though he has pushed for more emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/22/marcos-extermination-never-part-of-drug-war-strategy-1240">Marcos Jr.: &#x27;Extermination&#x27; never part of drug war strategy</a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/11/12/dilg-gov-t-to-shift-drug-war-strategy-to-target-narcotics-supply-2214">DILG: Gov&#x27;t to shift drug war strategy to target narcotics supply</a></div><div><strong>--- With reports from Agence France-Presse; Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News </strong></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday that the Department of Justice had to assess the House of Representatives quad committee's recommendation to file criminal complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies for the alleged killings in his war on drugs. </p>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday that the Department of Justice had to assess the House of Representatives quad committee's recommendation to file criminal complaints against former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies for the alleged killings in his war on drugs.

Raps vs Rodrigo Duterte? Marcos says DOJ has to assess quad comm recommendation

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Raps vs Rodrigo Duterte? Marcos says DOJ has to assess quad comm recommendation

ABS-CBN News

Published December 19, 2024 11:18 AM PHT

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Updated December 19, 2024 03:38 PM PHT

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