IN a speech in Vienna last March, former senator and justice secretary Leila de Lima challenged President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to 'do something more' about the war on drugs. She called the drug war a dismal 'failure.' De Lima was jailed for seven years under the Duterte regime, on trumped-up drug charges.
IN a speech in Vienna last March, former senator and justice secretary Leila de Lima challenged President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. to 'do something more' about the war on drugs. She called the drug war a dismal 'failure.
' De Lima was jailed for seven years under the Duterte regime, on trumped-up drug charges.De Lima's remarks came on the heels of the move of the International Criminal Court to investigate the abuses in former president Rodrigo Duterte's controversial war on drugs. The ICC announced that it was looking for Filipino and Cebuano translators. Some observers, including former senator Antonio Trillanes, saw this as a sign that the body was moving to the next stage of its investigation.De Lima emphasized that 'there can be no effective transition if you do not deliver justice first.''Considering the lack of an effective mechanism to hold those accountable to the bloody drug war, it is imperative for the ICC to prosecute the authors of the drug war for the mass murder of our people,' she said.Duterte promised in his campaign for the presidency to halt the drug problem, which led to the deaths of at least 6,200 suspects in police operations by the end of his term. However, human rights groups estimate that the figure could reach as high as 13,000.The former senator said that 'those identified and have been involved in this mass murder may be prosecuted under the principle of universal jurisdiction in foreign courts, which our national law recognizes.'Meanwhile, an adviser from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights highlighted the 'human faces' behind the figures and emphasized the organization's recommendations to 'set up an investigation and ... remedies to the victims as well as support, aid and protection.''We know that there has been some initiative from the government under the umbrella of a joint program on human rights ... But is very slow,' said Zaved Mahmood, the OHCHR's human rights and drug policy adviser.When asked whether the drug problem would still be an important issue in the coming midterm elections in May 2025, de Lima said that it is still a major issue and 'shouldn't be forgotten.' Moreover, the former senator also pointed out the 'nexus' in the drug war, which she said is the 'poor and the powerless' who were easily targeted by the violators.'Duterte's drug war was a failure ... simply because the targets were just the drug addicts and street drug pushers, and not the big drug syndicates which continue to ply their trade. The focus of the war on drugs was not of the right one,' she said.She called on the international community to 'continue to push for accountability and help in crafting policies' to help the victims of the violent drug war.De Lima said that she 'intends to pursue this simultaneously,' including running after Duterte for sending her to jail. But if the ICC's investigation requires it, her personal agenda 'can probably take a backseat.'The former senator was released on bail on Nov. 13, 2023 after almost seven years in detention after being accused of involvement in the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison. De Lima's 'persecution' is seen as having been orchestrated by Duterte due to her staunch advocacy against the killings under his watch.As Commission on Human Rights chairperson in 2009, de Lima probed the killings allegedly carried out by the Davao Death Squad , which led to a resolution that found 'probable cause.' The commission urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate Duterte's 'possible administrative and criminal liability.'She bravely led the Senate investigations into Duterte's drug war up until she was arrested in February 2017. It was during these hearings where the alleged DDS hitman Edgar Matobato and other whistleblowers came forward and discussed details about the killings.Now out on bail at an opportune time, de Lima said she is 'willing to cooperate' and is 'volunteering experience, if not expertise' to the ICC. Proceedings at the court are now at the stage where prosecutor Karim Khan can either request for an arrest warrant or summons, if he finds enough grounds based on his investigation.Only a few have been convicted in drug war-related killings while families left behind are still facing challenges, including harassment and intimidation from the police. Many are now pinning their hopes on the ICC to bring them justice amid continued impunity in the Philippines.But the tide seems to be turning. There are now three pending resolutions at the House of Representatives urging government agencies to cooperate with the ICC investigation, with one filed by non-opposition lawmakers. Even Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin 'Boying' Remulla said that cooperation with the ICC needs 'serious study.''Injustice continues to cast a long shadow over our nation, its darkness deepened by the countless Filipinos who perished in the brutal war on drugs. Their stories cry out for justice, yet accountability remains an elusive dream. Those responsible walk free, shielded by impunity, while families mourn and communities bear the scars of a senseless tragedy. This cannot be our reality,' de Lima said.Former vice president Leni Robredo's 'insider accounts' also showed the failure of a deadly anti-drugs campaign.On Jan. 6, 2020 and during the 2022 presidential election campaign, Robredo discussed her findings from her 18-day stint as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs . She said that the government only ran after the small-time drug pushers, and that treatment and rehabilitation programs were inadequate. She called on the government to end the deadly Oplan Tokhang , bring proceedings against high-value targets, and improve its collection and interpretation of drug-related data.During the 2022 campaign, Robredo also cited statistics showing that the flow of methamphetamines into the country had not slowed down despite the death of thousands of drug users.Robredo called for a stop to the drug war and more powers to the Anti-Money Laundering Council to go after drug lords. She also gave a '1 out of 100' score to the bloody drug war because authorities were able to recover only 1 percent of the total shabu being consumed nationwide and seized just 1 percent of the dirty drug money in circulation. Robredo dedicated much of her 40-page ICAD co-chair report to detailing her suggestions on how the Duterte government could improve its campaign to end the drug menace.Years ago, when Thaksin Shinawatra conducted a similar drug war in Thailand, it was discovered that half of the people that police shot were not involved in drugs at all. They were just small-time criminals that the police wanted to get rid of. The same spiral of violence happened in the Philippines. Sadly, recent Thai and Philippine history on dealing with alleged drug suspects is written in blood.
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