Senators didn't ask why Duterte's drug war failed

Monday’s hearing at the actor-packed Senate began with comedy. Livestream viewers guffawed as a mustached solon spoke while his Mini-Me sat behind him.

- JARIUS BONDOC

Fantasy followed. Blue Ribbon subcommittee head Sen. Koko Pimentel wanted to first present victims of Rody Duterte’s bloody drug war. But Sen. Bato dela Rosa preempted the script: “Let the ex-president speak ahead because he’s frail, old and sleepy.”

How Duterte can run for mayor in such a weak state, nobody asked. He took “full responsibility” for the drug war killings. With thousands of druggies “negated,” the crime rate dropped and people felt safe walking the streets at night, he claimed.

“Spare the poor policemen. Don’t blame them, blame me,” Duterte said over and over. He obviously aimed to hearten killer cops. No need for them to confess to crime. He’ll take the rap.

Finally Fr. Flavie Villanueva got to speak. His Program Paghilom helps 312 indigent families cope with the loss of their slain loved ones. Dela Rosa accused the priest of propagandizing, and challenged him to file charges. A former PNP chief, the senator looked ignorant of the law:

The PNP Internal Affairs Service is supposed to investigate every killing and wounding in police operations – and file charges against cops who caused wrongful deaths and injuries.

Duterte’s six-year-long drug war officially recorded 6,252 druggies killed because “nanlaban” using “kalawanging” .38-caliber revolvers. “Where are all those weapons?” Fr. Flavie asked. Dela Rosa just shrugged that the answer might be with PNP Forensics.

Duterte alternately justified and denied extrajudicial killings. Police supposedly sacrificed to make the drug war triumph.

But did it really succeed? Records show otherwise.

In a press meet on Sept. 30, 2016, Duterte likened himself to Hitler “who massacred three million Jews. I’d be happy to slaughter three million addicts.” (Actually, Hitler killed six million Jews.)