Duterte drug war ‘not widespread’ but ‘direct’ – Marcoleta

Activists hold a candlelight vigil for victims of the extrajudicial killings in the drug war of the government in front of a church in Manila on September 16, 2016. —File photo by Ted Aljibe | Agence France-Presse | Getty Images

MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war was “not widespread” but was instead “direct,” SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta said on Wednesday.

The drug resulted in thousands of suspects being killed, allegedly for evading arrest or fighting back at law enforcers — for which Duterte now faces a crimes against humanity case at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“What is one element of a crime against humanity? The attack done is widespread, and it’s a systematic attack directed at a civilian population,” Marcoleta said in Filipino during a press conference at the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman in Quezon City.

Marcoleta contrasted Duterte’s case with those of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The missiles of Russia and Israel, that’s their effect — they favor nobody, they don’t choose whoever they hit,” he said.

“President Duterte wasn’t like that. He went directly after the enemies of peace in our country — those who destroy the lives of people, those who destroy families, those who destroy families. The drugs [they sell],” he added.

According to government data, at least 6,000 were killed during the drug war, but human rights watchdogs placed the death toll between 12,000 and 30,000.

Article 7 of the Rome Statute defines “crimes against humanity” as “acts when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack.”

However, Marcoleta said: “It is [a] legitimate government operation. President Duterte used no missiles — he was direct, they were subjected to tokhang. Not widespread.”

“Tokhang” is derived from Cebuano words “totok” or “to knock” and “hangyo” or “to plead with.” It was supposed to be the tactic employed law enforcers — knock on doors of suspected drug pushers and plead with them to stop what they were doing.

READ: Groups to make formal request to ICC for Duterte repatriation

In the same press conference at UP, Marcoleta and former Sen. Gringo Honasan announced a petition to be submitted to the ICC requesting a leave to address the validity of Duterte’s arrest and the “urgent need” to release and return him to the Philippines.

READ: Highlights: Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC pre-trial

Duterte was arrested by authorities on March 11 and brought to the ICC Detention Centre in The Hague, the Netherlands, the following day.

He made his first appearance before the tribunal on March 14.

The ex-president’s confirmation of charges was set for September 23, 2025.