By: Pauline Ritchel Ramos
Photo from: Ezra Acayan / Getty Images
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) response to growing criticism from politicians and human rights organizations, a special task force was formed to look into and pursue cases pertaining to alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) that took place during the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign.
Department Order No. 778, issued Nov. 4, established the task force, which was headed by senior assistant state prosecutors and supported by the National Prosecution Service (NPS) and a National Bureau of Investigation team.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stressed that the DOJ's goal is to "spare no one" who was implicated in abuses during the previous administration's war on drugs.
According to Remulla, the task force would work closely with the Senate blue ribbon committee and the House quad committee to conduct investigations, develop cases, and bring charges against individuals found accountable.
The new team has been charged with providing a progress report to the DOJ within 60 days of its formation. The team is chaired by a senior assistant state prosecutor and co-chaired by a regional prosecutor.
Recently appointed Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon promised that state prosecutors are ready to tackle the "very big task" of looking into cold cases connected to the anti-drug campaign, stressing that they will evaluate cases that might have been dismissed too soon because of insufficient evidence.
Duterte on the EJK hearing
Protecting the nation and the Filipino people was Duterte's stated presidential mandate.
"Do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses. I did what I had to do, and whether you believe it or not, I did it for my country."
Former President Rodrigo Duterte accepted full legal responsibility for the alleged EJK of some police officers and made no excuses for his brutal war on drugs, which killed over 6,000 suspects, the majority of whom were impoverished men, without allowing them to stand trial.
Duterte defended his campaign, which is also under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity, at the first Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing on his war on drugs.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch organizations estimate that between 12,000 and 30,000 drug suspects may have been killed in lawful operations during Duterte's tenure, however official statistics indicate that only about 6,200 were slain.
The goal of the DOJ task force is to bring these cases to justice, and Remulla reaffirmed the department's resolve to hold all of the offenders accountable.