It is misleading for Vice President Sara Duterte to say her father did not threaten victims during his presidency, when his drug war campaign was marked by brutal orders to kill even rights defenders.
Throughout his presidency, Rodrigo Duterte made numerous public statements encouraging violence against drug suspects and those who defended their right to due process.
Speaking at a June 25 press conference, Sara argued that her father should be granted interim release from the International Criminal Court, as he has no means to intimidate victims or interfere with witnesses while being in another country.
“Noong siya ay pangulo nga, hindi niya thrineaten ang mga biktima. Pangulo siya, meron siyang power and authority. Ngayon pa na nasa loob siya ng detention unit, lalo pa ‘pag nasa ibang bansa siya na unreachable ang mga tao sa Pilipinas,” she said.
RATING: This is misleading.
Facts
While in office, Rodrigo made multiple unrelenting declarations, instructing police to “shoot to kill” drug offenders while openly dismissing their human rights.
About a year later, he said he would order the police to also target those who try to protect suspected drug offenders, so they could “see what kind of human rights” violations really look like.
Rodrigo’s violent language instilled fear far beyond drug suspects, according to rights groups and analysts, with lawyers and journalists among those he openly threatened. Dismissing his statements as jokes or political rhetoric does not change the reality that they caused Filipinos to fear for their lives.
So for his daughter, the vice president, to claim that he had not threatened or intimidated victims, which include the families and loved ones of those killed in the drug war, is ultimately misleading.
Read the full story on Philstar.com.