By Filane Mikee Cervantes
MANILA – Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop claimed Thursday that former President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be at the “center” of a “grand criminal enterprise” that exploited the Philippines’ war on drugs to advance the very problem it sought to eradicate.
During the House Quad Committee (quadcom) hearing, Acop said the previous administration’s drug war was purportedly used to protect key figures involved in the illegal drug trade while eliminating competition.
“The quad committee has started to uncover a grand criminal enterprise and it would seem that at the center of it is the former president. Napakasakit po nito dahil tayo pong lahat ay nabudol (This is very painful because we were all deceived),” Acop said as he summarized findings from the 13 hearings that uncovered alleged links between the illegal drug trade, Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) and extrajudicial killings during Duterte’s term.
Acop cited the testimony of dismissed police colonel Eduardo Acierto, who implicated Duterte and his closest allies, including Senators Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa, for allegedly protecting the illegal drugs network in the country.
Dela Rosa was the former national police chief and Go served as special assistant during Duterte’s presidential term.
“Ang mga [nasa] posisyon noong 2016 hanggang 2022 ay sila mismo ang nagdala at nagpalaganap ng problema ng droga sa Pilipinas (Those in position from 2016 to 2022, they’re the ones who brought and spread the drug problem in the Philippines),” Acop said.
“Worse, they served as key figures in ensuring that large volumes of illegal drugs slip right through our borders,” Acop added.
Acop lamented the irony of Duterte’s campaign promise to eradicate the country’s drug problem, as findings from the quadcom revealed that his administration not only failed to address it but actively perpetuated its proliferation.
“Napakasakit po dahil P. Digong won on the platform of a hardline stance against illegal drugs and criminality. Siya pala ang mukha ng illegal drugs at kriminalidad (This is very painful because President Digong won on the platform of a hardline stance against illegal drugs and criminality, but he turned out to be the face of illegal drugs and criminality),” he said.
Acop further alleged that Duterte’s anti-drug campaign was used to enrich a select few at the cost of countless lives.
“Incidentally, these are the people whose hands are on the purse and the sword of the Republic, and they have definitely used it. It is most unfortunate however that the sword was used to slit, stab, and slash the very people it swore to protect—we the people. And the purse was used not to benefit the Republic, but to line the pockets of the few. Nilunod po nila ang bayan natin ng droga at kumita sila dahil dito (They drowned our country in drugs and profited from it),” Acop said.
Acop exposed what he called a “perverse” reward system that fueled the wave of alleged extrajudicial killings tied to Duterte’s drug war.
Rewards ranged from PHP20,000 to PHP1 million, as testified by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Royina Garma and corroborated by former National Police Commission Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo.
“The existence of the rewards system is not denied; in fact, pinagmayabang pa ito ni former president Duterte at ang kanyang mga alipores (former president Duterte and his cohorts even boasted about it),” Acop said.
Acop argued that this system targeted operators local drug manufacturers and distributors, effectively eliminating competition for drug importers.
“Mukhang ang war on drugs was a convenient way to eliminate competition in the drug trade. More specifically, the local manufacturers. Let us remember, ang key feature ng war on drugs ay ang reward system. Every kill is compensated,” he said.
Acop highlighted the staggering human toll of Duterte’s campaign, with at least 30,000 killed based on available data.
Many victims’ families were dismissed by Duterte’s administration as “collateral damage”, according to Acop.
Acop pledged that the committee would leave “no stone unturned” in its investigation and would push for legislative reforms to ensure such abuses are not repeated. (PNA)
