“Marcos should show that this is part of an effort against impunity. So, it’s important for him to file cases, not just against Duterte, but also against others. It’s important to reverse the legacy of impunity that Duterte laid down. This way, people can say, 'It’s not just politics.' This is really about addressing the problem of impunity."
“We will not be swayed. Our loved ones were killed, mercilessly desecrated and it was inhumane. Until now, the situation of the victims’ families is still not good,” Jane Lee, who lost her husband in Duterte’s “war on drugs” said.
Yesterday, the nation saw the light of justice after many years of darkness. We welcome it with tears, joy and hope.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines International Office said that Duterte’s crimes are beyond his so-called “war on drugs,” pointing out that his government carried out systematic killings of its peace consultants, aerial bombings of civilian communities, and the torture and execution of captured Red fighters (hors de combat). These, they added, are all in blatant disregard of the laws of war.
Protesters welcome the arrest as a step toward justice for the thousands killed in Duterte’s bloody War on Drugs. Families of extrajudicial killing victims join the demonstration, demanding accountability for the abuses committed under his administration.
“With Duterte's invocation of his role as lawyer and prosecutor as some kind of authority in his recent testimony at the hearings at the House of Representatives and the Senate, we believe it is time for victims of human rights violations to speak up."
"Justice is holding Duterte and his accomplices accountable. They are responsible for thousands of extrajudicial killings."
"Ignoring this reality would be counterproductive and will only prolong the entire process and open it to manipulation by the Duterte camp, besides prolonging the agony of the families of victims who have long been seeking justice for their loved ones,” Cristina Palabay said in a statement.
“The IPT belie Marcos Jr.’s posturing that his administration is different, that it has new ways to address the issues facing the country. But until the government changes its programs, rights violations will continue no matter how many foreign trips Marcos Jr. will do."
“Former President Rodrigo Duterte along with those who conspired to bring such patently false charges against de Lima should be held accountable."
"Though factually baseless and clearly malicious, I cannot merely dismiss Respondent Duterte’s red-tagging and accompanying grave threats as either figurative, joking, or otherwise benign considering that many victims of extrajudicial killings, illegal arrest and detentions, excommunicado confinements, forced disappearances and other analogous attacks were called or labeled 'communists,' members or supporters of the NPA, “terrorists,” and like labels before they were attacked."
Now, what Duterte is essentially doing is to favor one oligarch over another. And this is no different to what Ferdinand Marcos did during his dictatorial regime, when he simply favored one faction of crony oligarchs over another faction of non-crony oligarchs.
Poet, social commentator and literary scholar Bienvenido Lumbera only had two words when asked what birthday present he would like to receive from the president, “Go away!”
"This bloodthirsty regime fetishes death and violence, and Duterte strongly batting to reimpose death penalty is not surprising but no less infuriating — it's as if the mass murder of the poor at the hands of the police in the sham drug war or in the hands of soldiers through the counterinsurgency program aren't forms of death penalty already, while the rich, the regime's most gung ho allies, and human rights violators can blatantly escape accountability without even an iota of remorse for their crimes."
President Rodrigo Duterte will deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27. Bulatlat examines Duterte's policies on the economy and foreign policy, his COVID-19 response and track record on human rights and the attacks on press freedom and expression since the lockdown.
As we witness the excruciatingly slow and inefficient governance of this administration, more lives are on the line – not only due to the dreaded disease but also due to hunger and desperation.
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