Filipinos “helpless witnesses” in Duterte’s “creeping dictatorship,” Trillanes claims

February 20, 2018

Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV alleged Tuesday that Filipinos are "helpless witnesses" in the alleged "creeping dictatorship" under President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), Trillanes said the alleged extrajudicial killings nationwide were part of a calculated effort to control every segment of the Philippine society, similar to what Duterte allegedly did when he was mayor of Davao City.

"It is meant to strike fear in the hearts of the people so he could control and manipulate them. This, along with the persecution of the political opposition; harassing mainstream media; undermining the Church; attacking the Ombudsman and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; amending the Constitution; and courting the military; are common tactics straight out of dictator's handbook," Trillanes said.

"Truly, there is a creeping dictatorship in our midst and we all are helpless witnesses," he added.

Duterte, in his previous speeches, admitted he has to impose a dictatorial style of running the government to address the country's many problems.

But he has vowed to step down from his post as soon as his term ends in 2022 or even earlier once a new federal form of government is put in place.

Duterte even told the military to shoot him if he would prolong his term even for a single day.

The International Criminal Court has been conducting a preliminary examination of the complaint filed against Duterte by Filipino lawyer Jude Sabio for allegedly committing crimes against humanity due to the large number of Filipinos who have been killed in the war on drugs.

Trillanes and Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano have been backing Sabio's complaint against Duterte.

Trillanes said the ICC might want to look into the year-end report of the Presidential Communications Operations Office issued last December showing that some 20,000 people were killed amid the government's war against illegal drugs.

He cited page 22 of the year-end report under the accomplishments of the Department of Interior and Local Government under the section "Fighting Illegal Drugs."

He noted that the PCOO listed 3,967 drug personalities who died in anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 27, 2017.

"But curiously, Malacanang also listed 16,335 homicide cases under investigation from July 1, 2016 to September 30, 2017. Since it was listed under the section of 'Fighting Illegal Drugs,' therefore, all of these deaths are drug-related and not for other causes. Those dumped on sidewalks with bodies or faces wrapped in packing tape would fall in this category," he said.

The Palace report, he said cited the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Customs as sources.

"So, to sum up these two figures, we'll get 20,322 total number of deaths/EJKs under Duterte's war on drugs," Trillanes said.

"Just a food for thought, can you imagine a president of any country who would actually cite the deaths of his own people from summary executions as an accomplishment?," he added.

In a press briefing last week, PCOO Assistant Secretary Ana Marie Banaag clarified that those homicide cases under investigation previously cited in the report were separated from those directly related to illegal drugs.

From July 1, 2016 to Feb. 8, 2018, the government's official death toll in relation to anti-drug operations was 4,021. Celerina Monte/DMS