The Philippines' 'war on drugs': What will change after Duterte? | DW News

Summary

The transcript discusses the contentious 'war on drugs' under former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, which reportedly led to thousands of deaths. Officially, over 6,000 were killed in anti-drug operations, but human rights groups contest these numbers and the operations' legitimacy. The International Criminal Court has initiated an investigation. Some Filipinos are conducting their own probes, uncovering falsified death certificates and suggesting a much higher death toll. The poor were particularly affected, with families enduring loss and seeking justice. Despite Duterte's departure, concerns persist about ongoing violence and a culture of impunity.

Takeaways

• 😢 The so-called 'war on drugs' under former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is reported to have resulted in thousands of deaths, with the government claiming around 6,000 were in legitimate anti-drug operations.
• 🚨 Human rights groups dispute both the legitimacy of these operations and the reported death toll, suggesting the actual number of victims is much higher.
• 🔍 The International Criminal Court has opened an investigation into the drug war, reflecting global concern over the situation.
• 🦴 Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortune discovered falsified death certificates in seven out of 47 cases, indicating a deliberate effort to conceal the true cause of deaths.
• 🔮 The flawed procedures for investigating deaths in the Philippines were exacerbated by Duterte's policies, leading to an escalation in killings post-2016.
• 🏙️ The poor were disproportionately targeted, with hitmen often planting evidence of drug abuse after carrying out extrajudicial killings.
• 🏛️ The International Criminal Court estimates that up to 30,000 people were killed during Duterte's tenure, a figure significantly higher than the official count.
• 🙏 Families of victims are seeking justice and truth, with some, like Catholic priest Referent Flaviano Villanueva, providing support through exhumations and legal advice.
• 🔒 Despite Duterte's departure, there are concerns that the culture of violence and impunity continues, with recent killings suggesting the issue is not resolved.
• 📉 The war on drugs is considered a failure by many, as it left families broken and orphaned, while drugs reportedly became cheaper and more accessible.

Q & A

How many people did the Philippine government claim were killed in legitimate anti-drug operations during Rodrigo Duterte's tenure?

The Philippine government claimed that a little over 6,000 people were killed in legitimate anti-drug operations.

What is the discrepancy between the government's claim and human rights groups regarding the number of people killed in the war on drugs?

Human rights groups dispute both the legitimacy of the operations and the number of those killed, suggesting that the true toll is much higher than the government's claim.

What action did the International Criminal Court take in response to the situation in the Philippines?

The International Criminal Court opened an investigation into the war on drugs due to the concerns raised by the number of deaths and the legitimacy of the operations.

What shocking discovery did forensic pathologist Raquel Fortune make while examining the remains of some of the people who died?

In seven out of 47 cases, Raquel Fortune found that the death certificates were false, listing natural causes of death when people had actually been shot.

How has the war on drugs affected the safety of citizens in the Philippines, according to the script?

The script suggests that it's not safe to walk around because someone could be shot, and the police are not taking action due to uncertainty about how to proceed.

What kind of scenario have many families in the Philippines experienced, as described in the script?

Many families have experienced hitmen approaching at night to shoot a loved one, followed by evidence of drug abuse being planted.

What does the International Criminal Court estimate the number of people killed during Duterte's war on drugs to be?

The International Criminal Court estimates that up to thirty thousand people, more than four times the official number, were killed during Duterte's war on drugs.

What is the role of Catholic priest Referent Flaviano Villanueva in supporting the families affected by the war on drugs?

Referent Flaviano Villanueva supports the families by paying for exhumations and providing legal advice, fearing that the killings are far from over.

What is the current state of the drug problem in the Philippines according to Dr. Fortune?

Dr. Fortune believes that the drugs continue to be a problem, and in fact, they are cheaper these days, indicating that the war on drugs has been a failure.

What challenges does journalist Anna Santos highlight regarding the pursuit of justice in the Philippines post-Duterte administration?

Anna Santos highlights that justice will be very difficult due to the current political climate, with President Marcos Jr and Vice President Sarah Duterte seen as continuity candidates, and law enforcement expressing satisfaction with the previous administration's war on drugs policy.

Why was it easy to falsify deaths in the Philippines during the war on drugs, as explained by Anna Santos?

Anna Santos explains that it was easy to falsify deaths because the war on drugs targeted poor young men living in marginalized communities. Families, fearing for their safety and lacking resources for proper autopsies, would often sign off on medical certificates that listed natural causes of death to claim the bodies of their loved ones.

Outlines

00:00

🕊️ Controversy Over Duterte's War on Drugs

The paragraph discusses the contentious 'war on drugs' under former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, which has resulted in thousands of deaths. The government claims that around 6,000 people were killed in legitimate anti-drug operations, but human rights groups dispute both the legitimacy of these operations and the death toll. This has led to an investigation by the International Criminal Court. Some Filipinos have taken it upon themselves to conduct investigations, uncovering disturbing findings. Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortune discovered that in seven out of 47 cases, death certificates were falsely listing natural causes when the individuals had actually been shot. The paragraph also highlights the flawed procedures for investigating deaths in the Philippines and how Duterte's presidency exacerbated the situation. It describes the fear and danger faced by citizens, with extrajudicial killings and planting of evidence by hitmen. The International Criminal Court estimates that the actual number of deaths could be as high as 30,000, and many relatives are seeking to reveal the truth. The paragraph ends with a Catholic priest's efforts to support families by funding exhumations and legal advice, fearing that the killings are not over and have become an organized enterprise.

05:02

📜 Challenges in Seeking Justice for War on Drugs Victims

This paragraph features an interview with journalist Anna Santos, who has covered Duterte's war on drugs. Santos discusses the challenges in achieving justice due to authorities falsifying evidence and the potential for continued impunity under the new administration of President Marcos Jr and Vice President Sarah Duterte. She explains the difficulties faced by families in obtaining the bodies of their loved ones, often being forced to sign off on false death certificates to claim them. The emotional toll on the families is described as indescribable, with many having lost multiple family members to the drug war. Santos emphasizes the ongoing fight for justice and the right to grieve, as well as the importance of remembering the victims and the human rights violations that occurred under Duterte's administration. She concludes by stating that the fight for justice will continue, but for now, the focus is on the right to remember and grieve for the victims.

Keywords

💡War on Drugs

The 'War on Drugs' refers to the global campaign led by governments and international agencies to reduce the illegal drug trade and drug use through prohibition and enforcement efforts. In the context of the video, it specifically refers to the aggressive anti-drug campaign initiated by former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, which has been criticized for its high death toll and alleged extrajudicial killings.

💡Legitimate Anti-Drug Operations

This term is used to describe actions taken by law enforcement that are within the bounds of the law to combat drug trafficking and use. The video script questions the legitimacy of the Philippine government's claims that over 6,000 deaths were the result of such operations, suggesting that the actual number and circumstances of these deaths may be different.

💡International Criminal Court (ICC)

The ICC is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. It has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Highlights

Former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs resulted in thousands of deaths.

The government claims over 6,000 people were killed in legitimate anti-drug operations, but human rights groups dispute this number and the claims of legitimacy.

The International Criminal Court opened an investigation into the drug war due to the disputed claims.

Concerned Filipinos have been conducting their own investigations, revealing troubling findings.

Forensic pathologist Raquel Fortune discovered false death certificates in seven out of 47 cases, listing natural causes instead of gunshot wounds.

The Philippines' procedures for investigating deaths have been historically flawed, with Duterte's presidency exacerbating the issue.

The current safety situation in the Philippines is precarious, with arbitrary shootings and police inaction.

Many families have experienced hitmen planting evidence of drug abuse after shooting a loved one.

The poor were the primary victims of the war on drugs, with the International Criminal Court estimating up to 30,000 deaths,远超官方数字.

Relatives of the victims are seeking to set the record straight about the true circumstances of the killings.

Catholic priest Referent Flaviano Villanueva supports families by funding exhumations and legal advice.

Despite Duterte's departure, killings continue, indicating an ingrained culture of violence that has become an organized enterprise.

The war on drugs is considered a failure, leaving behind broken families and an ongoing drug problem.

Dr. Fortune believes the true death toll of the war on drugs will never be known due to unidentified and unclaimed bodies.

Journalist Anna Santos discusses the challenges of achieving justice when authorities are implicated in falsifying evidence.

The new administration, with Duterte's daughter as vice president, is seen as a continuation of the previous policies, including the war on drugs.

Falsifying a death in the Philippines is made easier by targeting poor young men and pressuring families to sign off on incorrect medical certificates.

The grief and loss experienced by the families of the victims is indescribable, with many losing multiple loved ones to the drug war.

Advocates and families continue to fight for justice and the right to grieve, remembering the victims and the human rights violations under the Duterte administration.

Transcripts

former philippines president rodrigo

duterte's so-called war on drugs killed

thousands the government says a little

over 6 000 people were killed in

legitimate anti-drug operations

rights groups however dispute both

claims that of legitimacy and the number

of those killed

it prompted the international criminal

court to open an investigation into the

drugs war but some concerned filipinos

are already carrying out their own

investigations and their findings are

troubling

each of these skeletons has a story to

tell

the story of a war on drugs the

philippine government fought over the

past six years

officially some six thousand two hundred

people were killed by police for dealing

with drugs

the true toll is nearly certainly much

bigger and the x-ratio due to bullets

with the remains

okay and i i'm just so happy that it was

they were not lost

they were not lost so two bullets came

with that

examining the remains of some of the

people who died forensic pathologist

raquel fortune made a shocking discovery

in seven cases out of 47 the death

certificates were false

they listed a natural cause of death

when people had actually been shot

the philippines procedures for

investigating death says the 60 year old

have always been flawed

but here comes

duterte as president in 2016 and he

simply took advantage of it

it's been happening before

but in 2016

the killings actually escalated

right now it's not safe to actually walk

around because somebody can just shoot

you

and the police

are not doing anything

because they don't know how

they can or they won't and some of the

killings actually are

perpetrated by

you know they're the perps

they did it they did it

many families in the philippines have

experienced this kind of scenario

hitmen approaching at night to shoot a

loved one

then evidence of drug abuse is planted

says grace

she lost her father and brother six

years ago

the mother of three now hopes that dr

fortune will shed more light on what

actually happened

when

when the

civilian

is shouting

give

my father

one shot again

to sure

she's the he's dead

the the civilian planted my father

gone

uh

two pieces of drug sachet

and money

that's why if you have a gun is fight

back

that's the reason that my father killed

because it's but fight back

the poor were the primary victims of the

war on drugs

the international criminal court

estimates that up to thirty thousand

people more than four times the official

number were killed on former president

duterte's watch

many relatives now want to set the

record straight

this catholic priest is doing his part

to support them

referent flaviano villanueva pays for

the exhumations and for legal advice

he fears that the killings even with

duterte gone are far from over

in the past two weeks

we have counted at least

eight or nine

killings

to this

very present day

my point

there's no difference between back then

and today

to make matters worse i believe that the

culture of killing has not only been

ingrained

but it has also become sadly

an organized enterprise

so

the war on drugs

is a complete failure

if it has one

success it left families

broken

without an orphan

the drugs continue

the drugs are cheaper these days

dr fortune is convinced that the true

toll of the war on drugs will never come

to light

too many of those who lost their lives

remain unidentified and unclaimed

but she hopes that her discoveries will

bring a semblance of justice

to the families who remain behind

joining me now for more is journalist

anna santos who has covered former

president rodrigo duterte's war on drugs

anna welcome we have a situation here

where you have authorities who have

essentially falsified evidence to

potentially hide guilt

can people realistically expect justice

when it's the authorities themselves who

are involved

perez right now i think that justice is

going to be very difficult and we talk

about justice you know in the sense of

accountability and bringing those people

responsible to account that's going to

be really difficult right now number one

we have president marcos jr and

duterte's daughter sarah duterte as vice

president they're seen very much as

continuity candidates and continuity

legislators so we see them as continuing

the policies of the duterte

administration including the war on

drugs second to that there have been

pronouncements by the philippine

national police and also the law

enforcement authorities saying that

they're very happy with how the war on

drugs was carried out under the duterte

administration and they have asked

president marcos jr to carry out the

same policy and even intensify it so

it's going to be a very difficult

environment for justice because we see a

lot of impunity still happening under

this government just help us understand

why it is so easy to be able to falsify

a death in the philippines you have to

remember that the war on drugs was

really categorically targeting a lot of

the poor young men

all right they live in enchanted

communities and in these communities

they would be gunned down in their homes

for example by mass vigilantes or

sometimes they would go missing you know

we've spoken to relatives who would hunt

for for their for their loved ones for a

whole evening and finally find them in

some morgue now their bodies would not

be released to them if they didn't sign

off on a medical certificate that just

said another cause of death like a

natural

disease like pneumonia or something like

this so that was the predicament that

these families faced now what would you

do if you had like you wanted to claim

you the body of your loved one you were

scared you didn't have money to pay for

a proper autopsy

that's that's wouldn't you just sign off

on this paper just to be able to grieve

onwards

what has it been like for the

relatives of these people who have been

killed i mean i know you've met many of

them they just demonstrated what has it

been like for them to lose a member of

their family

indescribable

i think would be the best way to to say

that there's no words for how they would

just

lose their loved ones

we have met mothers who have lost

two three sons

to the drug war

and can you just imagine what that would

feel like for someone to just have your

sons gunned down like that like they

meant nothing

so i think now more than justice yes we

will continue to fight for that and

human rights advocates and the families

of the grieving have said that they will

continue to advocate and fight for

justice

but in the meantime what they want now

is the right to grieve

the right for their loved ones to be

remembered and in so remembering

none of us will forget the extrajudicial

killings and gross human rights

violations under the duterte

administration and which may carry out

through the marcus duterte

administration now

anna santos we leave it there thanks so

much for coming into the studio thank

you baris