President Marcos urged to probe Baste over Davao EJKs

MANILA, Philippines — Human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) has urged the Marcos administration to investigate Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte in connection with killings linked to the supposed drug war in the city.

During the launch of AI’s State of the World’s Human Rights last week, AI Philippines section director Butch Olano said the group is “alarmed and concerned” over Duterte’s recent declaration of a new war on drugs.

“According to Human Rights Watch… immediately after the pronouncement, five people were killed within 24 hours,” Olano said.

He said President Marcos should investigate Duterte and other local government units for allegedly breaking the law.

“(The government must) investigate human rights violations related to his new declaration on the war on drugs,” Olano said.

During the turnover of command for the new chief of the Davao City police last month, Duterte issued a warning to drug users and traffickers.

“If you will not go, if you will not stop, I will kill you,” Duterte reportedly said during the event.

The office of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Davao region initiated an investigation into the matter.

The CHR noted reports that at least seven people were killed less than a week after Duterte issued the warning.

Duterte later clarified that he did not order anyone to kill, saying he specifically stated that he would be the one to do the killing.

Police involved in the drug-related killings were relieved from their posts.

AI said extrajudicial killings continue under the Marcos administration, contrary to claims that the practice has stopped.

“In the first 19 months of the Marcos administration, more than 600 people were killed. These were documented and these show that the EJKs continue and are unabated,” Olano said.

“Of those killed from June 2022 to June 2023, 15 percent were in Davao City,” he said, adding that Marcos must make an explicit and categorical announcement to end the so-called war on drugs.

Marcos should provide sufficient resources and funding to rehabilitate and treat drug users, Olano said.

“There is nothing which the Office of the President has said about extrajudicial executions. Silence means complicity,” Olano added.