Congressional Hearings Highlight Need for Marcos Administration Action
Manila – The Philippine government must implement major reforms in law enforcement following congressional hearings that exposed police misconduct in the country’s anti-drug campaign, Human Rights Watch stated in a recent report.
In the past weeks, testimonies presented before multiple House committees revealed allegations of extrajudicial killings and corruption within the police force, particularly during operations linked to the “war on drugs” initiated in 2016. These cases involve high-ranking officers with connections to former President Rodrigo Duterte. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urged to investigate these claims and work alongside the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute those responsible.
“Recent congressional testimony has shed light on the deadly law enforcement mechanisms used during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign,” said Bryony Lau, Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch. “President Marcos now has the opportunity to enact meaningful reforms in the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies.”
One significant testimony came from Royina Garma, a former Cebu City police chief and later head of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. She stated that Duterte personally instructed her in 2016 to help design a national anti-drug strategy modeled after his approach as mayor of Davao City. This strategy allegedly included financial rewards ranging from 20,000 Philippine pesos (approximately US$350) to one million pesos (US$17,500) for officers involved in eliminating drug suspects.
Further testimonies raised concerns over political manipulation. On October 11, self-proclaimed drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa alleged that former police chief and current Senator Rogelio “Bato” dela Rosa pressured him into falsely implicating then-Senator Leila de Lima in drug-related activities. This claim, Espinosa stated, came under threat of harm to him and his family. De Lima, a vocal critic of Duterte’s drug war, was subsequently stripped of her Senate committee chairmanship and faced criminal charges. She was detained for nearly seven years before being fully acquitted in June 2024. Dela Rosa has refuted these allegations.
The hearings underscored how government institutions and resources were exploited to enforce Duterte’s aggressive anti-drug measures while silencing opposition. Despite thousands of reported killings under the drug war, accountability remains scarce, and drug-related deaths at the hands of police persist under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
With Juanito Victor Remulla now heading the DILG, there is an opportunity to revise internal Philippine National Police directives, particularly “Oplan Double Barrel,” the policy framework for anti-drug operations under Duterte, which remains in effect. Strengthening the Internal Affairs Service within the PNP to grant it greater authority in investigating police misconduct is also a necessary step forward.
Additionally, the DOJ should act on the congressional findings by launching independent investigations and pursuing legal action against implicated officers. President Marcos is also urged to reform the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which played a major role in the drug war, and to ensure full cooperation with the ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court.
“The revelations in Congress demand immediate action from the Interior and Justice departments,” Lau emphasized. “International partners and donor governments should insist that the Philippine government take meaningful steps to prevent state institutions from being misused to commit such atrocities again.”
