Pray for EJK victims, public urged

In observance of this year’s Undas, House quad committee co-chair Bienvenido Abante Jr. urged the public to offer prayers for the thousands of victims of the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs, whose perpetrators remain at large.

Abante, a pastor and chairperson of the House Committee on Human Rights, which initially investigated the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, lamented that the victims and their families had yet to receive justice for the unjust killings.

“Collective national amnesia is one of the enemies of justice. The wheels of justice turn too slowly in our country,” the lawmaker said.

“The killers and the masterminds of the brutal war on drugs have not yet been arrested, prosecuted, convicted, or incarcerated for their heinous crimes,” he added.

The government reported more than 7,000 deaths during Duterte’s notorious war on drugs. However, local and international human rights organizations estimate that the death toll exceeded 30,000.

During a Senate hearing earlier this week, Duterte said under oath that he “takes full legal responsibility” for the killings associated with his anti-drug campaign — a significant admission that critics assert may be used against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Duterte also confirmed the existence of a “death squad” comprised of “gangsters” who killed criminals during his decade-long tenure as mayor of Davao City.

Despite years of clamors for justice, the former president said he remained unapologetic for his policies, asserting that he did what was necessary to protect the country from illegal drugs.

The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in March 2019, but some lawmakers insist the court retains jurisdiction over any potential crimes against humanity committed during the drug war.

The human rights panel is one of the four committees that comprise the House quad committee, whose hearings have gained attention for the shocking revelations of witnesses, including police officers allegedly formerly closely associated with Duterte. Edjen Oliquino