FACT CHECK: Duterte seesaws on order to kill drug addicts

When questioned about his drug war policy, former president Rodrigo Duterte falsely claimed that he did not order the killing of drug addicts, but later admitted that he did.

See FACT SHEET: Duterte’s ‘never-ending’ fight against drugs and corruption in his own words

STATEMENT

Citing a July 1, 2016 article from the British newspaper The Guardian, Sta. Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez reminded Duterte during the Nov. 13 House quad committee hearing that he had admitted urging the killing of drug addicts. The report referenced Duterte’s speech after his June 30, 2016 inauguration.

Quoting the newspaper, Fernandez said, “Sinabi niyo po dito [You said here], ‘If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself, as getting their parents to do it would be too painful.'”

Duterte claimed the report was erroneous, saying:

“I am talking of the drug manufacturers and drug dealers… Talagang sinabi ko, pero hindi tama ‘yan [report]… sinabi hindi adik. Sabi ko drug dealers and drug pushers. Bakit mo patayin ‘yang adik? Dalhin mo sa ospital.”

(I really did say that but that is not correct… not drug addicts. I said drug dealers and drug pushers. Why would you kill the addict? Bring them to the hospital.)

Source: House of Representatives Official Youtube, ELEVENTH PUBLIC HEARING OF THE HOUSE QUAD-COMMITTEE, Nov. 13, 2024, watch from 2:52:48 to 2:53:25

FACT

In his June 30, 2016 speech during a solidarity dinner at Delpan Sports Complex in Tondo, Manila, Duterte said:

“‘Yung mga adik ho diyan, kayo na lang ho ang pumatay… Kung anak niya, ikaw ang pumatay. Kung anak niya ang adik, kayo ang pumatay para hindi masyadong masakit [for their parents].”

(The drug addicts, you kill them yourselves. If it’s his child, you kill him. If it’s his child, you kill him. If his child is an addict, the others should kill him so it’s not too painful for his parents.)

He warned:

“Dadating talaga ‘yan. Mamamatay ‘yan [drug addict].”

(It will come. The drug addict will die.)

In his interpellation later during the same House committee hearing, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. emphasized that contrary to what Duterte was insisting, the former president was referring to drug addicts, not drug lords and pushers, when he talked about who should be killed.

“Nagkamali po kayo no’ng sinabi niyong (You erred when you said) drug addicts,” Abante said.

Agreeing with Abante, Duterte said, “I stand corrected,” adding that he was referring to “drug lords and drug addicts.”