Duterte's Confession: The Dark Truth Behind the Philippines' Drug War

Rodrigo Duterte's recent testimony in the Philippine Senate has sparked outrage as he admits to overseeing a "death squad" during his tenure as mayor, raising serious ethical and legal questions about the country's notorious war on drugs.

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has acknowledged the existence of a "death squad" that he reportedly utilized to counter crime while serving as mayor of Davao City. In what has become a controversial Senate hearing, Duterte, 79, stated that this squad included gangsters, revealing that he would order them to "kill this person, because if you do not, I will kill you now." The admission comes as part of an investigation into his notorious national drug war, which has resulted in thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings and is currently under scrutiny by the International Criminal Court.

Duterte, who rose to the presidency after promising to extend his anti-crime efforts across the nation in 2016, unapologetically defended his campaign in front of the Senate panel. "Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do," he asserted, further claiming a hatred for drugs. Despite admitting to the squad's existence, he denied granting permission to police chiefs to kill suspects and described the death squad as comprised of "gangsters... not policemen."

During the inquiry, Duterte confronted several victims' families and critics for the first time since leaving office in 2022. He claimed that crime rates had surged in his absence, threatening to continue his violent campaign if given another chance: "If given another chance, I'll wipe all of you." According to the Philippine government, over 6,252 individuals have died in the drug war, while human rights groups assert that the figure may exceed tens of thousands.

UN reports have criticized the campaign, suggesting that Duterte's aggressive rhetoric gave police an implicit "permission to kill." Police often justified their actions as self-defense in confrontations with alleged drug dealers; however, many families contend that their loved ones were innocent bystanders fallen victim to a failed war on drugs. The campaign has drawn significant international condemnation, even as it retains some support within the nation, particularly in areas heavily impacted by substance abuse.