Former President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that he killed around 6 to 7 criminals during his time as the Mayor of Davao City.
In response to questioning from Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas during the continuation of the House Quad Committee hearing about whether he had killed anyone, Duterte replied that he had killed many.
“Me? Many. About 6 or 7. I didn’t follow up at the hospital if they survived. I prayed that when I ride my motorcycle, there would be a hold-up and if I catch you, I will really kill you. I have no patience for criminals,” he said.
Brosas asked if Duterte takes full responsibility for the extrajudicial killings he admitted to, and Duterte stood firm, asserting that he would be held accountable under the law for his orders in the war on drugs.
“I and I alone take full legal responsibility for everything done by the police pursuant to my order. I will take the blame. If anyone should go to jail, it should not be the police who followed my orders,” Duterte stated.
“If you are the city executive or mayor, all the orders you give to the police and all the consequences are on me, including what the police did,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Laguna Rep. Dan Fernandez, Co-Chairman of the Quad Committee, pointed out that if Duterte is responsible for the police in the war on drugs, then why have 195 police officers been dismissed from their jobs, affecting their careers and tarnishing their names because of the campaign against drugs.
Duterte insisted that he did not know that so many police officers were dismissed due to his war on drugs, adding that if he had known this information, he would have helped the involved police officers.
Duterte claimed to have assisted some police officers who were implicated in the war on drugs by providing them with aid such as money, rice, and scholarships for their children.
After hearing that some police officers had been dismissed in the war on drugs, Duterte announced that he would start a fund for the police.
“I will start a fund for the protection of the police. I am putting up P1 million. I will look for more. I have P1 million. I will start, I will raise a fund to help the police,” Duterte said.
Based on a report submitted by PNP Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil to the Quad Committee, he stated that there is no official record from the PNP showing any commitment from Duterte to help the police.
According to Marbil, there were 1,286 police officers affected in the line of duty during the war on drugs, with 312 killed, 974 injured, and 214 facing various criminal cases from July 2016 to June 2022.
When asked why he is only providing funding for dismissed police officers now, Duterte replied that there might be other reasons for their dismissal aside from the war on drugs.
“Many may have made mistakes, and there must be a reason for their dismissal. There cannot be a dismissal without lawful grounds. If they were removed, sir, they really must have done something wrong,” Duterte concluded.
