Former President Rodrigo Duterte challenged Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas during the Quad Committee hearing on Wednesday, November 13, to invite the International Criminal Court (ICC) immediately, so it can begin its investigation of his war on drugs.
“I am asking the ICC to hurry up, and if possible, they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow. This issue has been left hanging for so many years. Matagal na baka mamatay na ako, hindi na nila ako maibestiga(han),” Duterte said in response to Brosas.
“So I’m asking the ICC through you, na magpunta na sila dito bukas, umpisahan na nila yung investigation. And if i am found guilty, I will go to prison and rot there for old time,” he added.
Duterte made the statement in response to Brosas’ question on how he gave his order to police when confronting suspects. According to Duterte, police officials should know when to kill. He argued that it was not for self-defense but for the performance of duty. He questioned why officials should accept that they were the ones injured when they have permission to use their power over the suspects.
“Self-defense is when you defend yourself from serious injuries, or you die. That is also applicable to a policeman who is performing his duty because the policeman has to confront a civilian,” Duterte stressed.
He added that law officers have the right to confront the criminal, especially when they are put in danger.
“Ang sabi ko sa kanila, huwag kang pumunta dito sa aking opisina na may sugat ka, sipain kita. Patayin mo, bakit ikaw ang may sugat?” the former President said about his policy.
The Elements of Self-Defense
According to Brosas, the elements of self-defense are made up of three aspects: unlawful aggression; reasonable necessity of the means employed to prevent or repel it; and the lack of sufficient provocation on the part of the person defending himself.
With that in mind, Brosas invited the suspects’ kin to recall the circumstances they were under at the time of their relatives’ deaths.
Most of the relatives recalled how the police statements’ contradicted what they believed to be the truth. At the time of their loved ones' deaths, policemen said that the suspects fought back, and that’s the reason why they were killed.
Their families recalled learning about the death of their relatives on the news, insisting that their families had no upper hand with authorities.
“Yung time po na pinaslang yung mag-ama ko, sa totoo lang palando ng mga pulis ‘yon na pumatay sila. Ang hinahanap nila, hindi yung mag-ama ko, yung kapatid ng asawa ko. Nasa police report ‘yon,” Maryann Domingo, the family of the victim said.
“Bilang mahihirap wala kaming magawa. Talagang yung ginawa ng mga kapulisan, imbis na magtiwala kami, nawalan kami ng tiwala. Sa tingin namin, hindi na nila ginagampanan yung obligasyon nila bilang mga pulis. Kaya hindi makatao yung ginawa nila sa aming mahihirap,” Domingo highlighted.
The Quad Comm proceeded with their 11th public hearing on Wednesday, with the Former President attending for the first time.
