Malacañang said the Philippines is safer under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., contrary to what former President Rodrigo Duterte said in a Senate hearing where he mentioned that crime is rampant in the country. According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Duterte's statement is not true and he mentioned that based on data from the Philippine National Police, crime has decreased in various aspects. Instead, the Palace insisted that peace and order were achieved under the Marcos administration without violating human rights.
In the same hearing, Duterte expressed his full responsibility for the thousands of extrajudicial killings during his term, something that disappointed some lawmakers in the House. Rep. said. Jude Acidre that Duterte's confession should be a reason to hold him accountable to the law. He said Duterte's openness about his role in the killings should be followed by the filing of a case for justice. Acidre added, the principle of justice in the country should be respected and the former president should not evade responsibility.
Because of this, House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun also called for Duterte to be held accountable, saying that the confession is an important opportunity for institutions to prove their strength in law enforcement. Nueva Ecija Rep. also expressed. Mika Suansing that government agencies now have a duty to act and provide justice to the victims of extrajudicial killings. He also urged the courts and government agencies to take Duterte's statements seriously and conduct a comprehensive investigation.
Cagayan de Oro Rep. called for Lordan Suan to the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct an investigation into Duterte's confession. According to Suan, this kind of confession cannot be ignored, and institutions must show an agreement to apply justice to victims of human rights violations. He added, the former president should not run away from his responsibilities under the law, especially since he admitted these incidents.
On the other hand, several families and groups of victims of extrajudicial killings led the Senate's investigation led by Sen. Bato dela Rosa and Sen. Bong Go. According to Rise Up for Life and for Rights, the hearing is tainted with bias and may serve as a "whitewash" on the incidents that occurred.
