Hontiveros: There's no honor in punishment like tokhang

As the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee begins its investigation, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday slammed the Duterte administration's war on drugs, saying the Filipino people will “never” be proud of its implementation. 

In her opening statement, Hontiveros stressed that former President Rodrigo Duterte “will be taken at his word,” referring to his past pronouncements that he will kill Filipinos for the sake of peace and order. 

She said that the stories of the victims of the Duterte administration’s drug war deserve to be heard and should spur lawmakers to action.  

“Sa lahat ng nagsasabi na ang war on drugs ay parusa daw para sa mga naliligaw ang landas, my message to you is this: There is no honor in punishment like tokhang,” Hontiveros said. 

“It should not be an honor to be called 'The Punisher,' when thousands of innocent people, including babies, have died in your name. Hindi kailanman ipagmamalaki ng mga Pilipino ang war on drugs na yan,” she added. 

Oplan Tokhang was part of the police’s anti-drugs campaign, which included going door-to-door to "knock and plead" with people to stop using illegal drugs. 

Government records show that there were at least 6,200 drug suspects killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but several human rights groups have refuted this and say that the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings.

Meanwhile, Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Duterte's loyal ally and the chief implementer of his war on drugs, said that he attended the hearing not just a vice-chairperson of the panel but also a resource person, being the former chief of the Philippine National Police during the Duterte administration. 

“I have been tagged multiple times as the ‘face’ of the war on drugs — the same war on drugs openly supported by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and of course, supported by our people. Perhaps, I am one of the best persons to contribute to today's discussion,” Dela Rosa said. 

“I am here, Mr. Chair, to tell the truth, and as I do so, witness the web of lies come undone, one thread at a time,” he added. 

Duterte was present during the day's hearing. —KBK, GMA Integrated News