Senator Christopher “Bong” Go defended former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, highlighting the significant support it received from Congress during the Duterte administration.

In an interview, Go expressed disappointment over former allies who have distanced themselves from Duterte since he left office.

Reflecting on Duterte’s State of the Nation Addresses (SoNA) from 2016 to 2021, Go noted the enthusiastic applause and standing ovations lawmakers gave the then president when he emphasized the anti-drug campaign.

“You remember, during all the SoNAs, everyone was applauding,” he said in Filipino.

According to Department of the Interior and Local Government figures, the crime rate dropped by 73.76 percent during Duterte’s first five years in office.

Go voiced concern over everyone seemingly ganging up on the former chief executive.

“Then why is he being blamed now? Why is he alone now? Didn’t you benefit? Didn’t our fellow Filipinos benefit? Our children were not being harmed. Isn’t the safety of our children and families important to us? You benefited, you know, Filipinos benefited. He risked his life for this. And now he’s all alone, still facing blame,” he lamented.

He urged Filipinos to judge for themselves whether their lives improved during Duterte’s administration, particularly in terms of public order.

“You should judge for yourselves, fellow citizens, whether our children could walk safely without being harmed or harassed by drug addicts during the time of former President Duterte. You know, if illegal drugs return it will be even more frightening,” he said.

“For the OFWs, they had peace of mind knowing that their children were safe and not being harmed or harassed while walking at night. They came home safely and without injury,” he added.

A Pulse Asia survey conducted in June 2018 showed that nearly 70 percent of Filipinos viewed Duterte’s war on drugs as the most significant achievement of his administration. The initiative was highlighted by the majority of respondents from a list of 15 key accomplishments, especially in Metro Manila and across all socioeconomic classes.

Even at the end of his presidency, Duterte recorded an impressive satisfaction rating of 88 percent in an SWS survey conducted on 22-29 June 2022. The high rating, especially at the end of his term, was considered rare, as outgoing presidents often experience declining public sentiment.

Go vehemently denied the so-called “reward system” in the illegal drug campaign, calling the claim baseless. He said Duterte’s support of law enforcement was aimed at helping the police and other uniformed personnel perform their duties more effectively within the bounds of law.

In the ongoing House hearings, former police colonel Royina Garma alleged that Duterte had asked her to recommend an officer to implement a nationwide version of the “Davao model” which purportedly rewarded policemen under a tier system for kills in the drug war.

The Duterte administration was marked by a vigorous crackdown on illegal drugs, with official figures citing over 6,000 deaths linked to the campaign, but which human rights organizations contended was actually much higher, up to 30,000 fatalities.

In March 2019, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the International Criminal Court (ICC), even as an investigation into the drug war was underway. The ICC announced in January 2023 that it would resume its probe, which had been paused at the Philippines’ request.

On Monday, Malacañang affirmed that the Philippines would not rejoin the ICC, despite calls for the government to provide evidence related to the extrajudicial killings.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin reiterated this stance, indicating that the administration saw no need to engage with the ICC in its ongoing investigation.

The House of Representatives Quad Committee is considering inviting Duterte to testify on alleged extrajudicial killings and illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators during his presidency.