Duterte drug war ‘unacceptable policy,’ says Palace

Orphaned families and supporters of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings of the previous administration’s war on drugs gather along Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City on Tuesday (March 11, 2025) following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte.  (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Wednesday condemned the controversial drug war policy implemented by former President Rodrigo Duterte, emphasizing that it was an “unacceptable” approach for any government.

“Hindi siya dapat polisiya ng isang gobyerno (It should not be a policy of any government) in the first place. It’s against the law,” Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

Castro questioned the effectiveness of Duterte’s drug war from a broader societal perspective, pointing out the grave consequences for the victims and their families.

She also stressed that killing, particularly without due process, violates the law.

“Killing is against the law. Wala nga tayong death penalty sa Pilipinas, uunahan mo pa na patayin. Ang masama wala pang hearing (We don’t even have death penalty here in the Philippines, and you will just go ahead and kill them. Worse, without trial),” she said.

“Kung may natulong sa iba, paano naman yung namatayan (If it helped some people, how about the families of the victims)?” Castro further said, as she questioned the success of a policy that she said disregards the lives of those affected by the extrajudicial killings.

Duterte’s war on drugs has been widely criticized, especially after the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched an investigation into possible crimes against humanity, particularly extrajudicial killings, allegedly committed by authorities under his administration.

While acknowledging that victims of drug-related crimes have the right to pursue legal action, Castro noted that Duterte’s approach was not a policy that should be followed.

“Kung merong mga nabiktima itong mga drug users (If there are victims of these drug users), then the victim can file cases against those drug users. Pero hindi natin matatanggap na polisiya na siya na dapat sundin ng isang gobyerno (But we couldn’t accept that this policy should be followed by a government),” she said.

Duterte was arrested on Tuesday morning upon his arrival to the country from Hong Kong following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating his drug war.

The international probe is focused on the alleged killings attributed to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign during his time as Davao City mayor and as president.

Hours after his arrest by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and local law enforcement authorities, Duterte was flown to The Hague in the Netherlands where the ICC is based.