MANILA, Philippines 鈥� La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V believes former President Rodrigo Duterte was just playing victim when he spoke before overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Hong Kong, claiming that the reality is that the past administration allowed a 鈥渟tate-sponsored drug cartel.鈥�
Ortega in a statement on Monday said that Duterte seems to be ignoring the reason why his family has been the subject of different investigations and cases鈥攂ecause issues have not been addressed, like claims that the drug war was meant to eliminate competition of his close allies allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
READ: Acop: Quad comm uncovers Duterte鈥檚 link to 鈥榞rand criminal enterprise鈥�
鈥淣abudol tayo ng Budolterte! For years, he made us believe he was waging a war against drugs, but the House Quad Comm鈥檚 investigation has revealed the shocking truth: It was a war that protected and enriched his most trusted men, including his right-hand operator, Michael Yang,鈥� Ortega said.
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鈥淗e鈥檚 playing the victim while ignoring the real issue鈥攈is administration ran a state-sponsored drug cartel. The former president was never fighting a war on drugs. He was running a drug empire,鈥� he added.
Ortega also took notice of Duterte鈥檚 statements over the weekend, during a program in Hong Kong, where the former president told supporters to pitch in so that they can create a monument of him next to national icon Dr. Jose Rizal.
鈥淗abang nagpapatawa siya tungkol sa monumento, hindi niya sinagot ang tunay na tanong鈥攂akit ang pinaka-pinagkakatiwalaan niyang si Michael Yang ang sentro ng drug trade sa Pilipinas?鈥� Ortega asked, referring to Duterte鈥檚 former presidential economic adviser.
(While he was making jokes out of a monument, he still has not answered the pressing questions鈥攚hy did he trust Michael Yang who became the center of the drug trade in the Philippines?)
鈥淏udolterte has deceived the nation for too long. But the truth is out鈥攁nd the law will catch up with him,鈥� he added.
Duterte flew to Hong Kong over the weekend, just before rumors spread on social media that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will soon issue an arrest order for him. The former president is facing cases for crimes against humanity of mass murder, due to his involvement in the bloody drug war.
Several official and independent investigations of the drug war have shown that there were several instances where innocent individuals were dragged into the anti-drug operations, like in the case of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos who was summarily executed even if he was not the original target of the operation in Caloocan City last August 2017.
The three police officers involved in the Delos Santos killing were convicted of murder.
Rumors of an arrest order were then compounded after Presidential Communications Office Secretary Jay Ruiz said that they heard talks about the ICC鈥檚 supposed arrest order, adding that the government is 鈥減repared for any eventuality.鈥�
As of now, the Philippine National Police still has no verifiable information that the ICC had issued an arrest order for ex-President Duterte.
In Hong Kong, Duterte addressed talks on the arrest order, saying that his actions during the war on illegal drugs were for the Philippines鈥� benefit. According to Duterte, he never wanted to kill anyone, adding that they were just forced to counter evil forces.
Last August 2024, the House of Representatives鈥� quad committee started an extensive probe on the past administration鈥檚 drug war and other issues. The four panels eventually recommended the filing of crimes against humanity complaints against Duterte and his key allies for allegedly committing extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the anti-drug campaign.
Last December 13, Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop read a summary from the quad committee stating that they have uncovered tracks to a 鈥済rand criminal enterprise鈥�, with Duterte at the center of it.
According to Acop, testimonies from individuals invited by the quad committee鈥攍ike dismissed Police colonel Eduardo Acierto, former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban, ex-customs broker Mark Taguba, and self-confessed Duterte hitman Arturo Lasca帽as鈥攈ave pinpointed to a select group of individuals all with links to Duterte.
However, the Antipolo lawmaker pointed out that despite the drug war, individuals linked to the illegal drug trade who were deemed close to Duterte鈥攍ike Yang鈥攚ere not investigated thoroughly.
Acop said that instead of looking into Acierto鈥檚 report implicating Yang, Duterte chose to turn a blind eye to it and threatened Acierto.
Yang, despite not attending the hearings, was mentioned several times during the quad committee hearings. Pressed for answers about his ties to Yang, Duterte told quad committee members last November 13 that he will personally kill Yang if there is evidence linking him to the drug trade.