Manila: Former president Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has been described as a 'catastrophic failure' by Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers. Barbers criticized the campaign, stating that it corrupted the Philippine National Police (PNP), promoted impunity, and resulted in widespread human rights abuses.
According to Philippines News Agency, Barbers explained in a news release that while he initially supported the anti-drug campaign as a necessary response to a growing crisis, it ultimately failed. The campaign, instead of upholding justice, led to corruption within the PNP, fostered a culture of impunity, and allowed recycled drugs to re-emerge on the streets.
Barbers, who leads the House of Representatives Committee on Dangerous Drugs and chairs the quad committee (quadcom), highlighted the indictment of 30 police officers, including two generals, over a fabricated drug haul in 2022 as undeniable evidence of systemic abuse under Duterte's policies. He claimed that the administration's reward system turned law enforcement into a criminal enterprise, prioritizing kill statistics over genuine reform and public safety.
The lawmaker expressed support for Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla's order to investigate past PNP drug operations, considering it a necessary reckoning. Remulla previously described the fabricated drug haul as part of a wider conspiracy to hide criminal activities within the PNP.
Testimonies from witnesses, including retired police colonel and former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Royina Garma, revealed that Duterte's administration offered cash rewards for drug suspects killed, arrests made, and drugs seized. Barbers argued that this reward system encouraged shortcuts and bred criminal enterprises within the police force.
He emphasized the need for comprehensive reforms to dismantle the 'culture of impunity' within the PNP, implement stricter transparency measures in police operations, and enforce harsher penalties for extrajudicial killings. Barbers insisted that accountability is crucial to preventing future abuses and corruption.
Barbers concluded that the indictment of the 30 officers involved in the Manila drug haul should be just the beginning of a broader effort to hold perpetrators accountable. He stressed the importance of this investigation as a critical moment for the country to demonstrate that no one is above the law and to restore public confidence in the justice system.
