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Human Rights Watch demands justice as hearings unveil Duterte-era killings

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Relatives of victims of extra-judicial killings in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, listen to stories by other relatives during a gathering at a church in Manila on April 8, 2024. (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)

Human Rights Watch (HRW) described the revelations from recent congressional hearings on extrajudicial killings during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte as “downright horrifying.”

“Philippine prosecutors should investigate the allegations and file appropriate charges against those responsible, no matter their former or current position or rank,” said Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at HRW.

Since August 2024, the Philippine House of Representatives has held hearings exposing high-ranking officials involved in orchestrating targeted killings during the “war on drugs,” with allegations that drug money and illegal gambling proceeds financed these murders.

At the center of the allegations is Royina Garma, a former colonel in the Philippine National Police and the current head of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). 

Garma, a close ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was accused of ordering the murder of PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga in 2020. Barayuga was reportedly preparing to testify about corruption within the state-run lottery, implicating Garma.

Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza, an anti-narcotics officer, testified that he was instructed by his superior, Col. Edilberto Leonardo, to carry out the assassination, which was framed as a drug war execution.

Mendoza further alleged that Garma provided the logistical support for the murder, while Leonardo passed the instructions down the chain of command.

Garma and Leonardo have denied the accusations, but their ties to Duterte’s infamous Davao death squad and their roles in enforcing the violent anti-drug campaign have raised serious concerns. 

Human rights advocates have long accused Duterte-era officials of orchestrating extrajudicial killings with impunity, a practice that extended from his time as mayor of Davao to his presidency, according to HRW. 

Government reports estimate that 6,252 people were killed during the six years of Duterte’s drug war, all of whom were reportedly killed in legitimate police operations. 

However, estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights range from 8,000 to 27,000, including victims of vigilante killings.

Human Rights Watch called on the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take action on the congressional testimony implicating high-ranking officials in the police and various government agencies.

“The Philippines’ international partners need to impress upon President Marcos that bringing past abuses to light won’t end them unless there is genuine justice,” Lau said. 

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