To eradicate illegal drugs in three to six months and to lower criminality was a campaign promise, and became the centerpiece of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. Entering the second half of his presidency, he has repeatedly promised this in all of his three State of the Nation Addresses. It is a promise still in progress.
“I’m tired and I think I cannot fulfill the promise of ending all these problems. Drugs will not end at the end of my term. It might just be — it could worsen,” he said in a speech in August 2018.
Two weeks before Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), an international organization for human rights which the Philippines is also a member, voted for the investigation of alleged crimes committed of Duterte’s administration on the drug war.
The Palace strongly condemns the resolution saying it was “grotesquely one-sided, outrageously narrow, and maliciously partisan” and insists that the international probe is an interference of the Philippine sovereignty.
See below to track how did Duterte fared on his campaign promises on fighting criminality and drugs, including reimposition of death penalty and revival of mandatory ROTC.
PROMISE: Fight against illegal drugs will be relentless and chilling |
| “The war against illegal drugs is far from over. Where before, the war resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs worth millions of pesos, today, they run [into] billions in peso value…This is why the illegal drugs war will not be sidelined. Instead, it will be as relentless and chilling, if you will, as on the day it began.” (SONA 2018) |
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In March, Duterte revealed that the drug war situation has worsened due to the increase in the amount of illegal drugs from millions to billions of pesos. Philippine National Police (PNP) shared the same sentiment. But Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) chief Director General Aaron Aquino disagreed, saying it was a good sign that the government was able to intercept large volume of illegal drugs. There are more than 6,600 drug suspects killed in the drug war since July 2016, a 3,149 increase since 2017 SONA, the latest PNP data show. Duterte has ever since flip-flopped on the number of suspects under his drug war. |
PROMISE: Reimpose death penalty on heinous crimes |
| “I therefore ask Congress to act on all pending legislations to reimpose the death penalty on heinous crimes — especially on the trafficking of illegal drugs.” (SONA 2017) |
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Five bills have already been filed in the 18th Congress by senators Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Panfilo “Ping’ Lacson and Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian. Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto said the reimposition of death penalty on drug trafficking may stand a better chance than bills proposing capital punishment forplunder. |
PROMISE: Address prosecution backlog especially in illegal drugs cases |
| “To address backlogs and low prosecutorial effectiveness and efficiency, the investigation and case management processes shall be streamlined including those for illegal drugs and heinous crimes.” (SONA 2016) |
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Sotto refiled the Dangerous Drug Court (DDC) bill for the Senate’s 18th Congress as one of his priority bills. This bill aims to create a special court to expedite cases according to Article XI of Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has adopted the Supreme Court’s plea bargaining framework for compliance of lower courts on drug cases. |
PROMISE: Strengthen protection for witnesses and whistleblowers |
| “To eradicate the prevalent cultures of fear and silence that have hounded our justice system, I asked Congress to enact the Whistleblower Protection Law while the present Witness Protection Program shall be strengthened.” (SONA 2016) |
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Sen. Richard “Dick” Gordon refiled the Whisteblower’s Act as his priority bill in July. Nine senate bills on witnesses and whistleblowers’ protection remained pending in the committee level in the 17th Congress. |
PROMISE: Strengthen ROTC program |
| “Let us also strengthen our ROTC Program to instill love of country and good citizenship.” (SONA 2016) |
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Senators Dela Rosa, Lacson, Go, Pacquiao and Gatchalian have filed the return of mandatory Reserve High School Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) for Senior High School in the 18th Congress. Duterte previously certified the mandatory ROTC bill as urgent before the 17th congress adjourned. In a letter addressed to Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Duterte said that the law is necessary to nation-building as it will invigorate the students’ sense of nationalism and patriotism by restoring basic military and leadership trainings for the youth. |
Sources
Inquirer.net, Duterte admits drug problem won’t end under his watch, Aug. 14, 2018
United Nations Human Rights: Office of the High Commissioner, UN human rights experts call for independent probe into Philippines violations, June 7, 2019
Office of the Presidential Spokesperson official Facebook, On the adoption of the Iceland resolution, July 12, 2019
Presidential Communications Operations Office, Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte During the Launching of the Go Negosyo’s Pilipinas Angat Lahat” Program, Aug. 14, 2018
GMA News Online, Palace insists international probe into drug war an interference with PHL sovereignty, July 5, 2019
Inquirer.net, Palace: UN probe on Duterte drug war is clearly an ‘interference’, July 5, 2019
Philstar, Palace to countries seeking probe: Respect Philippines sovereignty, July 6, 2019
State of the Nation Address
- Presidential Commissions Operations Office, 2018 State of the Nation Address, July 23, 2018
- Presidential Commissions Operations Office, 2017 State of the Nation Address, July 24, 2017
- Presidential Commissions Operations Office, 2016 State of the Nation Address, July 25, 2016
On relentless drug war
- Manila Bulletin, Duterte admits drug situation in the country has ‘worsened’, March 25, 2019
- GMA News Online, Duterte admits PHL drug situation had worsened, March 26, 2019
- Inquirer.net, Duterte: Drug problem in PH has ‘worsened’, March 25, 2019
- Presidential Communications Operations Office, Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN), March 24, 2019
- GMA News Online, PNP agrees with Duterte: ‘Int’l drug syndicates, patuloy na niyuyurakan ang ating mga batas’, March 26, 2019
- ABS-CBN News, PNP echoes Duterte: PH drug situation has ‘worsened’, March 26, 2019
- Inquirer.net, PNP agrees with Duterte that Philippine drug situation has worsened, March 26, 2019
- Presidential Communications Operations Office, Speech of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte during the Peace and Order Summit for Barangay Officials, Feb. 8, 2019
- Inquirer.net, PDEA chief opposes Duterte, PNP, says PH drug proble had not worsened, March 27, 2019
- Philstar, Drug problem worse? PDEA cites large seizures, March 28, 2019
- CNN Philippines,‘We are winning’: PDEA counters Duterte on ‘worsening’ drug situation, March 28, 2019
- Inquirer.net, PDEA: Public impression on worsening drug situation is normal, but…, March 27, 2019
- Inquirer.net, 6,600 killed in war vs drugs from July 2016 to May 2019 — PNP, June 18, 2019
- ABS-CBN News, Over 6,000 killed in nearly 3 years of PH drug war: PNP, June 18, 2019
- Philstar, PNP: We’re winning war on drugs, July 2, 2019
- Realnumbersph Facebook, #RealNumbersPH (as of July 2017)
On death penalty bill
- ABS-CBN News, Sotto says death penalty for drug trafficking possible in new Senate, May 16, 2016
- Rappler, Sotto doubts senators will support death penalty for plunder, July 3, 2019
- Philstar, Pacquiao, Go file bills to revive death penalty, June 3, 2019
- Rappler, Pacquiao, Bong Go file bills on death penalty for illegal drugs cases, July 2, 2019
- Inquirer.net, Pacquiao wants death penalty for drug traffickers, manufacturers, July 3, 2019
- ABS-CBN News, ‘Bato’ files bill reimposing death penalty, asks Church for understanding, July 4, 2019
- Inquirer.net, Go files bill restoring death penalty for heinous crimes, July 2, 2019
- GMA News Online, Gatchalian to file 5th Senate death-penalty bill, July 6, 2019
- Inquirer.net, Gatchalian: Death penalty for drug lords will stop illegal trade, July 6, 2016
- Manila Bulletin, Gatchalian to refile bill reimposing death penalty, sees this as best strategy vs. drug syndicates, July 6, 2019
- Pinglacson.net, PingBills: Senate Bill 27, An Act of Reinstituting the Death Penalty in the Philippines, July 4, 2019
- Rappler, Death penalty removed from bill amending Dangerous Drugs Act, Feb. 7, 2019
- Manila Bulletin, House deletes death penalty from drug bill, Feb. 7, 2019
- GMA News Online, House removes ‘death’ penalty for drug possession at parties in re-approved bill, Feb. 7, 2019
On prosecutorial effectiveness
- Official Gazette of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 9165: Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002
- CNN Philippines, Get to know the priorities of senators in the 18th Congress, July 10, 2019
- ABS-CBN News, 14th month pay, anti-‘false content’ bills among Sotto priority bills, July 1, 2019
- UNTV, Senators file pet bills for 18th Congress, July 1, 2019
- Department of Justice, Department Circular No. 27: Amended guidelines on Plea Bargaining for Republic Act No. 9165, June 26, 2018
- Supreme Court, Office of the Court Administrator, OCA Circular No. 90-2018: Plea Bargaining Framework in Drug Cases, May 4, 2018
On Whistleblowers and Witness Protection Act
- Senate of the Philippines Official Twitter, Sen. Dick Gordon 10 priority bills, July 17, 2019
- Senate of the Philippines, Whistleblower Protection, Senate Bill Nos 1415, 1018, 949, 938, 290, 258 and 88.
- Senate of the Philippines, Witness Protection Bill, Senate Bill Nos. 1901 and 1016.
On ROTC program
- CNN Philippines, Get to know the priorities of senators in the 18th Congress, July 10, 2019
- ABS-CBN News, 14th month pay, anti-‘false content’ bills among Sotto priority bills, July 1, 2019
- Manila Bulletin, ‘Bato’ focuses on children, their future in filing Senate priority measures, July 9, 2019
- Senate of the Philippines, Senate Bill 2232: Senior High School Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Act
- Rappler, Duterte certifies as urgent bill on mandatory ROTC, June 3, 2019
- ABS-CBN News, Duterte presses Senate to pass mandatory ROTC bill, June 3, 2019
- Inquirer.net, BREAK: Duterte certifies mandatory ROTC bill as urgent, June 3, 2019
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
