MANILA – Former President Rodrigo Duterte said he is taking full legal responsibility for the effects of the bloody “war on drugs” during his administration.
Appearing before the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee, the former Chief Executive defended the police officials who executed the drug war.
“I and I alone take full legal responsibility sa lahat ng nagawa ng mga pulis pursuant to my order. Ako ang managot at ako ang makulong. Huwag ang pulis na sumunod sa order ko. Kawawa naman, nagtatrabaho lang,” Duterte said.
According to Duterte, he tried his best to address the illegal drug problem in the country “firmly and without compromise” but had to resort to a bloody drug war in order to protect Filipinos.
“My mandate as President of the Republic was to protect the country and the Filipino people. Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do. Whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country,” Duterte said.
“The war on drugs is not about killing people. It is about protecting the innocent and the defenseless. The war on drugs is about the eradication of illegal substances such as shabu, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, party drugs, and the like,” he added.
The former President also stated that he reminded the police and soldiers not to abuse their authority and power but pointed out that it is the responsibility of the police to “overcome the resistance” if the criminals do not want to surrender.
“At kung may baril, at kung sa tingin mo ay mamamatay ka, barilin mo. Barilin mo sa ulo. Patayin mo. At least one less criminal in the community. ‘Yun ang utos ko when I was a fiscal and when I was a professor sa police academy,” Duterte said.
The former President also mentioned that he has always viewed people addicted to illegal drugs as victims and patients requiring medical help and not as criminals.
“No mistake about it, I hate drugs. I loathe the purveyors, the merchants, and the pushers of this demonizing element. I have not failed to emphasize this from the very day of the campaign when I ran for the presidency in 2016. This was my covenant to Filipinos who believed in me,” he said./PN
