Families of victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign on Friday urged the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the government issuances that implemented the controversial “war on drugs.”

The petitioners strongly urged the high court to resolve the pending consolidated petitions seeking judicial relief.

The petitioners, represented by CenterLaw Philippines, led by Sr. Ma. Juanita “Nenet” Daño filed a Manifestation and Urgent Motion for Resolution by urging the SC to act on cases that have remained pending since 2017.

The reliefs sought by the petitioners are for the SC to invalidate Philippine National Police Command Memorandum Circular 16-2016, or Project Double Barrel, as amended by CMC 01-2017, and Department of the Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular 2017-112 by arguing that the issuances violated the constitutional rights to life, liberty, and security.

Continuing threats

The pleading stated the questioned issuances remain effective because they have not been amended, revoked, or suspended despite the change in administration, allowing them to continue serving as part of the framework governing police anti-drug operations.

Also, the petitioners asked the SC to grant their petition for a writ of amparo and issue a Permanent Protection Order by citing what “continuing threats, harassment, and disinformation against families and communities of drug war victims.”

Further, the petitioners argued that the unresolved constitutional issues remain justiciable and involve matters of paramount public interest, including alleged grave violations of fundamental rights and questions capable of repetition yet evading judicial review.

The filing of the manifestation coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, which formally began on 1 July 2016, with the implementation of Project Double Barrel.

The petitioners said the SC is the only venue that can definitively rule on the constitutionality of the challenged government issuances and urged it to finally resolve the cases nearly nine years after they were first filed.

To recall, Duterte was arrested on 11 March 2025, by Philippine authorities and Interpol at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila under an International Criminal Court warrant for crimes against humanity.

He was subsequently transferred to the Netherlands to face trial at The Hague.