Palace: Perpetrators of drug war abuses, not gov’t, betrayed Filipinos

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

DUTERTE WATCH. Relatives and supporters of alleged extrajudicial killing victims watch the confirmation of charges hearing of former president Rodrigo Duterte at the University of the Philippines-Diliman in Quezon City on Feb. 23, 2026. The International Criminal Court at The Hague, the Netherlands, is determining if there is enough evidence to try Duterte for crimes against humanity charges related to his anti-drug war as Davao City mayor and as Philippine president. (Photo: PNA/Facebook)

MANILA – Malacañang on Tuesday said it is not the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that betrayed Filipinos but the perpetrators and accomplices involved in alleged crimes against humanity linked to the anti-drug campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The statement came after Duterte’s legal counsel Nicholas Kaufman claimed that the former president had been “betrayed” by the current government.

Speaking to reporters in Mandaue City, Cebu, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro rejected the claim, stressing that the focus should be on delivering justice to victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) associated with Duterte’s drug war.

Castro also criticized what she described as politicking by Duterte’s camp, saying they were attempting to gain sympathy by repeatedly questioning the Marcos administration’s earlier decision to facilitate the former leader’s arrest.

“It has been one year since the victims of EJK have seen the ray of justice. The justice that they deserve,” Castro said.

“It is not the President who betrayed the Filipinos but the perpetrators and co-perpetrators in the commission of the crimes against humanity who betrayed and continuously betray the Filipino people,” she added.

Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, launched in 2016, drew widespread criticism from local and international human rights groups due to thousands of deaths linked to police operations and vigilante-style killings.

The issue has been under scrutiny by the International Criminal Court, which has been investigating alleged crimes against humanity connected to the campaign.

The Marcos administration has maintained that it has no plan to rejoin the ICC, despite its recent move and following Duterte’s decision to withdraw from the tribunal in 2019.

Families of EJK victims and human rights advocates continue to seek accountability and justice.