TURNING POINT: Reckoning Time

NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 19 Dec) – The EJK triumvirate of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, former PNP Chief Bato de la Rosa, and Presidential assistant Bong Go are facing charges of committing crimes against humanity, in violation of Republic Act 9851, consequent to Duterte’s harrowing war on illegal drugs. The catastrophic war claimed tens of thousands of lives.

The dreaded narco list of Duterte regime made life uncertain in the Philippines. One may just fall by the wayside if his name is included in the malicious, unverified list that may come from the Palace or prepared by opportunists as low as at the barangay level. The list amounts to a wish list to exact vengeance on enemies. There surfaced then killers riding in tandem, supportive of or associated with the anti-drug campaign.

Killing drug personalities was the avowed policy to end the drug menace. Duterte encouraged civilians to kill drug users and pushers in their community and promised rewards. A reward system for the police force was also in place triggering extra-judicial killings. Rewards ranged from ₱20,000 to ₱1 million, as testified by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager, PNP Col. Royina Garma, and corroborated by former National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo.

Bato was responsible for Tokhang and Project Double Barrel, which initiated the EJK rampage. Go managed the reward system for the police force.

Over 6,000 killings were incurred in resultant anti-drug police operations. However, local and international human rights organizations estimated that the death toll exceeds 30,000, predominantly affecting low-income families and communities. The victims were mostly drug users and petty street sellers or pushers, the former of which were supposed to be rehabilitated or healed, and the latter jailed; but both all ended up killed; because rehabilitation and detention are not in the vocabulary of Duterte.

On the other hand, only a few drug lords were killed to set an example, mostly enemies or competitors of Duterte’s allies in the trade. Duterte was closely linked to the drug trade in his association with the drug magnate, Michael Yang, whom he protected and whose business he secured by making Yang his economic adviser. His son Paolo and son-in-law Mans Carpio, apparently business associates of Yang, were allegedly involved in the smuggling of ₱11 billion worth of illegal drugs concealed in magnetic lifters that were seized in Cavite back in 2018.

Duterte is not only in the drug trade but is also deeply involved in the operation of the Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs) that were involved in the heinous crimes of human trafficking, torture, murder, and money laundering.

The time for reckoning accountability has finally come. The triumvirate must face the music.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)