Families of drug war victims file disbarment case vs. Rodrigo Duterte
The families of drug war victims filed a disbarment case against former president Rodrigo Duterte on Jan. 17.
Lawyer VJ Topacio, who assisted the families, told reporters outside the Supreme Court about Duterte's misogyny, cursing, and strongman tendencies during his term from 2016 to 2022.
"Alam ko pong napakataas ng pamantayan ng ethics ng legal standards ng ating batas para magpractice," he said. "At sa loob ng administrasyon ni Duterte, nakita natin 'yung pambabastos sa mga kababaihan, mga late night na pagmumura, pangbubully, at pagpapakita na siya'y isang strongman. Ito po ay walang lugar sa ating batas."
Topacio noted how Duterte had declared lawyering for his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, amid the impeachment complaints against her.
This, he said, makes the disbarment case against the patriarch opportune.
"Naniniwala tayo na dapat desisyunan ng korte ang matagal nang pambabastos at pambababoy ni [Rodrigo] Duterte sa ating bayan. Witness po tayong lahat dito," he said.
"Wala siyang karapatan na maging abogado," he added.
Duterte assumed office in 2016. His administration’s bloody war on drugs or Oplan Tokhang saw the execution of thousands of suspected drug peddlers, users, and small-time criminals.
Based on the government's "Real Numbers" data, a total of 6,229 individuals were killed during anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016, to Jan. 31, 2022.
Rights groups, however, estimated that the number of deaths from the bloody anti-narcotics campaign reached as high as 27,000.
In a Senate hearing in October, Duterte said he's "taking full responsibility" for the drug war, but maintained that he won't apologize for it, claiming he protected Filipinos and addressed the problem "firmly and without compromise."
