IT is forbidden to kill; therefore, all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. — French philosopher Voltaire
FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte’s patronage of the so-called Davao Boys and his vaunted war on drugs that gave way to thousands of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) gave rise to widespread violence and human rights abuses.
This continued throughout Duterte’s term as Philippine president with the brutal campaign against illegal drugs executed by no less than key officials within the Philippine National Police (PNP) and related agencies, like the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). Some of the most prominent figures in this campaign included then Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Major General Romeo Caramat Jr., Davao City Police Colonel Lito Patay (whose family name ironically means ‘death’) and PDEA director general Aaron Aquino.
Their roles in the anti-drug campaign are closely linked to the large-scale number of EJKs that were perpetuated under Duterte’s administration, and their actions were deeply influenced by Duterte’s own words, which encouraged deadly force in dealing with suspected drug offenders.
Patay was part of the notorious Davao Boys while Caramat and Aquino were ‘lap-dog’ lackeys of Duterte who were responsible for the anti-drug operations of Duterte while he was still mayor of southern Philippine city of Davao.
And their operations escalated to a national level when Duterte became president. Caramat Jr., who became provincial director of the Bulacan Police, was known for his aggressive and violent approach to drug operations and this policy most often (if not always) led to high body counts in his jurisdiction.
Caramat’s leadership in Bulacan stood out during a series of coordinated police raids in 2017, where 32 individuals were killed in a single day.
The general—highly regarded by Duterte–insisted that all those killed had resisted arrest, or in the colloquial term ‘nanlaban’, a claim that was repeatedly used to justify the suspiciously high death tolls in police operations.
On the other hand, Colonel Patay earned himself a reputation as a ruthless law enforcer. He disregarded the true mandate of the PNP which is to serve and protect the people and he instead played a critical role in the slayings that besmirched the prescribed intention of Quezon City’s anti-drug operations.
Patay was instrumental in the operations that resulted in the deaths of numerous suspected drug offenders, many of whom were later revealed to be innocent civilians or low-level users who had no opportunity for a fair trial. These brutal incidents included the untimely death of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos who was murdered despite his innocence.
Finally, Aaron Aquino, who served as director general of PDEA, was another pivotal figure in Duterte’s drug war, because he oversaw operations at a higher level, coordinating between the PNP, PDEA and other government agencies involved in the anti-drug campaign. Under his leadership, PDEA became a central player in enforcing Duterte’s violent drug policies, often supporting and justifying the aggressive measures taken by the police. Aquino was part of the bigger picture that enabled the Duterte administration’s crackdown on drugs to go full swing and led to the loss of thousands innocent lives.
Now, the common factor between Caramat, Patay and Aquino is Rodrigo Duterte, who is deeply connected to these individuals because all of them grew up and came from Davao, or was introduced to the members of the Davao Boys.
It was also Duterte himself who gave the orders and created the culture of impunity that allowed such widespread extrajudicial killings to occur.
From a lowly Davao City mayor where he carried out his bloody drug operations, the same was elevated to a national scale, openly encouraging the killing of drug suspects.
In one of his speeches back in 2016, Duterte infamously confirmed data circulating from international news agencies like the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Cable News Network (CNN) that he is responsible for the bloody killings, and that his campaign on the war on drugs will not stop until the end of his term or until every drug pusher is killed. Duterte has also continuously defended the police officers and vigilantes who followed his commands to the letter.
He shamelessly tasked them to kill drug suspects, making them murderers in technical terms under the guise of enforcing the law and offering them protection from prosecution.
He promised to shield law enforcement officers from legal consequences, allowing figures like Caramat, Patay, and Aquino to carry out operations without fear of accountability.
By order of Duterte, these police officials and vigilantes went on a killing rampage, with an estimated death total of more than 20,000 individuals, most of them innocent.
Without fear of accountability, these policemen mercilessly tortured and killed people, whether in broad daylight or in the confines of the night, all without due process and proper justice being served.
These police officers also raided homes without the proper warrants and shot any drug suspect that they encountered or suspected.
There were even rumors that some victims were targeted because they were critics of Duterte or the police.
This resulted with the Philippines becoming a lawless land, all because Duterte wanted it so. The connection between Duterte and the actions of his police force is undeniable.
The extrajudicial killings were not isolated incidents, but part of a state policy encouraged by Duterte himself.
It remains clear that the responsibility for the extrajudicial killings does not rest solely on the shoulders of police officers, but ultimately on the president who ordered the bloodshed. Duterte’s war on drugs, with its legacy of violence and disregard for human rights, has left deep scars on the Filipino people and it will likely be a subject of accountability for years to come.
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