Bato admits human rights violations in some drug war deaths

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Thursday said that the deaths in the Duterte administration's drug war should be investigated individually as he admitted that there were human rights violations in some cases.

"We should treat each case individually. I must say it clear, hindi ko sinabi na walang nangyayari na human rights violation during the war on drugs. Aminado tayo diyan na merong mga kaso na talagang na-violate 'yung right ng tao kasi kung wala eh dapat hindi nakakasuhan yung mga pulis na gumawa ng kalokohan. Kasi kung wala, dapat walang pulis na nakonbikto, nakulong," Dela Rosa said during the Kapihan sa Senado.

(I did not say that there were no human rights violations during the war on drugs. We acknowledge that there have been cases where people's rights have been violated, because if they havn't there wouldn't have been any cases filed against the police. If there were none, there wouldn't have been any police convicted, jailed.)

"Kasi gusto nila na ila-lump lahat 'yan na gawing crimes against humanity at ipapasa sa [International Criminal Court] when in truth and in fact na some of these cases pagdating pa lang sa [Department of Justice] dismissed na agad ang kaso dahil through proper investigation lalabas at lalabas na justified yung ginawa ng pulis," he said.

(They want to lump them all to be crimes against humanity and pass them on to the ICC when in truth and in fact, when some of these cases were brought to the DOJ they were already dismissed because through proper investigation it would come out that the police's actions were justified.)

Dela Rosa also said it would be "useless" to attend the House human rights committee's probe into the former administration's war on drugs. The panel had invited Dela Rosa and former President Rodrigo Duterte to appear.

"Pabalik-balik na lang. For me, I find it useless to attend dahil masasayang lang ang oras natin and pabalik-balik lang ang tanong, pabalik-balik lang ang sagot," Dela Rosa said.

(For me, I find it useless to attend because we will just waste our time and the questions and answers will just keep going back and forth.)

On Wednesday night, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte will not attend the House investigation.

This came after Dela Rosa also stated that he will not attend the same hearing, citing advice that he sought from Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero.

In a text message to reporters, Escudero said on Wednesday that Dela Rosa expressed to him his position that the latter is not inclined to attend the probe.

"It is an invite and the invitee may voluntarily go or decide not to. Sen. Bato has expressed to me his position, at this time, that he is not inclined to attend," Escudero said.

"I told him that I support whatever decision he will arrive at regarding this matter and will always be a vanguard and guard the rights, privileges and prerogatives of the Senate and members of the Senate," he added.

'Bakit ang pangulo?'

Dela Rosa said he believes that some members of the House, particularly those who are left-leaning, "will be ganging up" on him and there is a political motive because they wanted to "pin down" Duterte.

The former PNP chief argued that the cops involved in the human rights violations should be the ones to explain, not the president, even though Duterte during his term exhorted the police and even the public to kill drug suspects.

"Bakit ang pangulo ang kailangan magpaliwanag, pagpaliwanagin mo 'yung bawat kaso sinong involved sa bawat kaso na mayroon human rights violation na nangyari. Sinong responsible don? Yun ang pananagutin mo, pa-explain-in mo," Dela Rosa said.

(Why is it the president who needs to explain? Have the person involved in the case where a human rights violation occurred explain. Who's responsible there" They're the one you should want an explanation from.)

"Bakit si pangulo? Ang pangulo nasa Malacañang lang 'yan e. Gusto niya matapos ang problema natin sa droga, but he is not telling you to do illegal things in order to stop the drug menace," he added.

(Why the president? He's only in Malacañang. He wants the drugs problem to stop, but he is not telling you to do illegal things in order to stop the drug menace.)

But should Duterte explain his side because he was the commander-in-chief? Dela Rosa said the former president can explain it in court.

"Sabi niya he is willing to face all the cases that are going to be filed in court, but not in the lower house," the senator said.

In 2021, the Commission on Human Rights said that after studying the location of the gunshot wounds in hundreds of the bodies showed a “strong indication of intent to kill” on the part of the authorities.

'Favorable'

Even though he will not be showing up to the House investigation of the drug war, Dela Rosa feels the probe is "favorable" to them, saying it proves that there is no need for ICC's intervention, because the justice system works in the Philippines and even the legislative department can probe the issue.

Should Duterte decide to attend the House probe, Dela Rosa said he will accompany the former president "out of love" for him.

"That's pagmamahal sa tao. Ayaw kong siya lang ang humarap doon nang wala ako. Kailangan kasama ako dahil unfair naman sa kanya, siya ang presidente noon, ako ang chief PNP. I was his implementor on the war on drugs tapos hahayaan ko lang siya humarap doon," he said.

(That's love for the person. I wouldn't want him to face them alone without me. I would have to be there because it would be unfair to him. He was the president and I was the chief PNP. I was his implementor on the war on drugs and I'd leave him to face them alone?)

"Kung may mga tanong doon na hindi kayang sagutin at his level as the president eh sa level ng chief PNP na tanong dapat masagot ko rin. Hindi ko hahayaan na hindi ko siya matulungan pag siya ang tinatanong," he added.

(If there are questions that he would not be able to answer at his level as the president, I should be able to answer on the level of the chief PNP. I would not allow myself to be unable to help him if he is being asked.)

Duterte and other top officials of his administration are already being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with alleged commission of crimes against humanity for systematic drug war deaths in police operations during his tenure.

These deaths reached more than 6,000 based on government records, but human rights groups contend that the deaths reached as much as 30,000, including vigilante killings, due to Duterte's policy. — BM, GMA Integrated News