Palace: No alarm over Duterte sympathy, but don’t overlook EJK victims

By Filane Mikee Cervantes, Philippine News Agency

FILE: 18 more urns containing the remains of victims of so-called extrajudicial killings under the Duterte administration are inurned at Dambana ng Paghilom (Shrine of Healing), La Loma Cemetery, Caloocan City on Wednesday (March 12, 2025). (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – A Palace official on Friday said there is no cause for alarm over public expressions of sympathy for former president Rodrigo Duterte, but the focus should remain on the victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) linked to his administration’s drug war.

In a Palace press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government respects the public’s right to express their sentiments and sympathize with the former president.

“‘Yung mga nakikisimpatya po sa dating Pangulong Duterte, karapatan po nila ‘yan. Hindi po ‘yan pipigilan, karapatan po nila na malungkot, magdalamhati para kay dating Pangulong Duterte (Those sympathizing with former President Duterte, that is their right. That will not be stopped; they have the right to grieve and mourn for former President Duterte),” Castro said.

Castro, however, stressed that attention should also be given to the drug war victims.

“Wala pa po tayong nakikitang makaalarma po sa administrasyon. Siguro po pag-usapan din po natin yung mga di-umanong naging biktima, hindi puro dapat sa kanila lang nakatuon ang attention ng tao (We have not seen anything alarming for the administration yet. Perhaps we should also talk about the alleged victims; the public’s attention should not be solely on them),” she said.

She said the pain and suffering of those left behind by the alleged victims of EJK should not be overlooked.

“Hindi napapansin sa ngayon ano ang naranasan ng mga biktima, ano ang naranasan nung mga pamilya na naiwan ng kanilang mga kamag-anak na naging diumano biktima ng EJK (Right now, people are not noticing what the victims went through, what the families left behind by those allegedly killed in EJKs experienced),” she added.

Castro raised concerns over what she described as the public’s tendency to glorify those accused of serious crimes.

“Bakit ngayon ang mga Pilipino hindi na nakikita yung mga namatay? Bakit napagtutuunan natin ng pansin yung pinagbibintangan na pumatay at nagpapatay? Bakit parang nago-glorify pa natin sa ngayon yung naakusahan ng murder at crimes against humanity (Why are Filipinos no longer seeing those who were killed? Why is the attention now on the one accused of killing? Why does it seem like we are glorifying the one accused of murder and crimes against humanity)?” Castro said.

“Sana po ang taumbayan buksan nila yung isip. Tignan po nila ano yung naramdaman nung mga tao, nung pamilya na naging biktima nung EJK (I hope the public opens their minds. Let them see what the victims and their families felt),” she added.

Duterte was arrested by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) and local police personnel on Tuesday on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, which has been investigating alleged crimes against humanity for the killings committed in the guise of the former leader’s controversial drug war when he was still Davao City mayor and Philippine president.

He is now in The Hague, Netherlands awaiting trial.