Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) turn emotional as they watch the live streaming of the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber rejecting the appeal of the defense team for the interim release of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, at the UP College of Law in Quezon City on November 28, 2025.

Duterte was arrested on March 11, 2025, by Interpol following an ICC warrant charging him with crimes against humanity related to the Philippine drug war. 

Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177200666141620251128-icc-rejects-duterte-interim-release-MT2_cropped_processed_by_imagy.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) turn emotional as they watch the live streaming of the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber rejecting the appeal of the defense team for the interim release of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, at the UP College of Law in Quezon City on November 28, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Some Filipinos should reflect on their morals and conscience and examine themselves about supporting drug war-related killings that happened under the leadership of former President Rodrigo Duterte, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Wednesday.</p><p>The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I this week is conducting confirmation of charges hearings on the case of Duterte, who faces three counts of crimes against humanity over the alleged extrajudicial killings during his terms as Davao City mayor and later as president.</p><p>There, the prosecution and victims&#x27; lawyers presented evidence that the former leader was aware of an alleged &quot;widespread and systematic&quot; attack on <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/24/duterte-s-war-on-drugs-more-of-a-war-against-the-poor-victims-lawyer-2356">mostly poor drug users and dealers </a>as well as other criminals.</p><p>The presentations and speeches <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/24/-traumatic-families-of-ejk-victims-re-traumatized-on-day-1-of-duterte-icc-hearing-0737">rekindled the trauma</a> of the victims&#x27; families and replayed Duterte&#x27;s &quot;kill&quot; rhetoric at the height of his anti-illegal drugs campaign, which many of his supporters had cheered and still defend today.</p><p>&quot;How come we allowed this?&quot; Carpio told ANC. &quot;How come everybody, most people, just let it happen? And because killing is the worst thing that you can do as a leader. And as people, how can we justify this morally? I think we have to really go through a self-examination of conscience here.&quot; </p><p>&quot;And even up to now, there are people who are justifying this,&quot; he added.</p><p>When he assumed the presidency in 2016, Duterte, in public speeches, repeatedly gave police officers &quot;shoot to kill&quot; orders for drug personalities who resisted arrest. Critics viewed this as giving law enforcement free rein to kill, which Duterte denied. </p><p>&quot;The <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/10/28/duterte-says-he-takes-full-responsibility-for-bloody-drug-war-1237">war on illegal drugs is not about killing people</a>; this is about the innocent and the defenseless,&quot; he said at a 2024 congressional hearing.</p><p>Some of Duterte&#x27;s supporters have argued that deaths are inevitable during the crackdown on illegal drugs, especially when the alleged criminals fight back or &quot;nanlaban.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/24/icc-prosecution-victims-counsels-submit-merits-on-day-2-of-duterte-pre-trial-1657">ICC prosecutor cites &#x27;insider witness,&#x27; says &#x27;neutralize&#x27; on Dela Rosa&#x27;s 2016 PNP memo meant to &#x27;kill&#x27;</a></div><p>For Carpio, killing &quot;your own people massively&quot; is &quot;worse than any graft and corruption.&quot;</p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s something here. Was this really because of hatred of drug addicts or something else? Did he profit from this? That&#x27;s still the big question,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;HYPERBOLE&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Salvador Panelo, Duterte&#x27;s former chief presidential legal counsel, who is among Filipino lawyers attending the pre-trial hearings at The Hague, on Wednesday defended the violence in Duterte&#x27;s pronouncements, saying it was only &quot;bluster&quot; meant to intimidate criminals. </p><p>Panelo, who had to clarify Duterte&#x27;s many remarks during his presidency, also said the former president was fond of &quot;hyperbole.&quot;  </p><p>Duterte&#x27;s defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman had used this reasoning during the pre-trial hearing to shield the former president from drug war deaths.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/duterte-maintains-his-innocence-absolutely-says-kaufman-1949">&#x27;Give Tatay Digong back to Filipinos&#x27;: Defense urges dismissal of &#x27;politically-motivated charges&#x27;</a></div><p>Victims&#x27; legal counsel Joel Butuyan, during the first day of Duterte&#x27;s pre-trial hearings, said Duterte &quot;converted millions of peace-loving citizens into bloodthirsty disciples who have become converts to the belief that violence and killings are valid solutions to societal problems.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The arrest and detention of Mr. Duterte have not stopped impunity in the Philippines. The virus of impunity that he spread all over the country has become a cancer that metastasized, infecting millions of Filipinos,&quot; Butuyan said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/victims-counsel-warns-of-risks-if-charges-against-duterte-are-not-confirmed-1900">&#x27;Virus of impunity&#x27;: Victims&#x27; counsel warns of risks if charges against Duterte are not confirmed</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/25/list-duterte-icc-pre-trial-day-2-highlights-1259">LIST: Highlights of second day of Duterte&#x27;s ICC pre-trial</a></div><div><strong>WATCH</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8wsliT4f_7Y?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Some of Duterte's supporters have argued that deaths are inevitable during the crackdown on illegal drugs, especially when the alleged criminals fight back or "nanlaban."</p>

Some of Duterte's supporters have argued that deaths are inevitable during the crackdown on illegal drugs, especially when the alleged criminals fight back or "nanlaban."

Filipinos who justify drug war deaths 'up to now' need 'self-examination'—Carpio

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Filipinos who justify drug war deaths 'up to now' need 'self-examination'—Carpio

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 25, 2026 04:09 PM PHT

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Updated February 25, 2026 05:03 PM PHT

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Rodrigo Duterte

ICC

Salvador Panelo

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