Senate face-off: How Hontiveros clapped back at Duterte during his bloody drug war hearing

On being called 'The Punisher'

In her opening statement, Hontiveros underscored Duterte's promises to kill fellow Filipinos, describing it as his "crooked understanding of peace and order."

“Maraming nagsasabi, nagbibiro lang daw si Tatay," she said, referencing his supporters' term of endearment for him. "Pero sa ngayon, hindi tayo nandito para magtalo pa kung anong ibig niyang sabihin sa libu-libong beses na sinabi ni President Duterte na papatayin nya tayong mga Pilipino. Today, we will take him at his word."

Hontiveros questioned whether at least 122 children, including a one-year-old, really fought back against the police or "nanlaban" during anti-drug operations.

“At sa lahat ng nagsasabi na ang war on drugs ay parusa daw para sa mga naliligaw ang landas," she said, "my message to you is this: There is no honor in punishment like tokhang." Tokhang is a combination of the common Visayan words "toktok" (knock) and "hangyo" (plead).

Referring to Duterte, Hontiveros said it shouldn't be an honor to be called "The Punisher," when thousands of innocent people, including babies, have died in his name.

"Hindi kailanman ipagmamalaki ng mga Pilipino ang war on drugs na 'yan,” she said.

On cursing, being 'bastos'

As Duterte explained his administration's stance on illegal drugs, he was in his element of cursing.

“Lalo na ang pulis, p****g i*a itong mga pulis, pag pumasok 'yan sa pulis sa droga, hindi mo masabi, ‘Hoy pulis, huminto ka,'" he said regarding his aversion to drugs.

But Hontiveros interrupted him for his language.

“Sorry sir, baka maaaring ang resource person tumigil magmura kasi bahay natin itong Senado," she said.

Sometime later, Duterte apologized to Hontiveros for his cursing though called her sensitive.

“'Yung character ko ho, ganoon talaga. Maski saan mo ako ilagay, even in front of anybody, ganoon talaga ako. Bastos ako, walang-hiya ako. Kasi galing ako sa baba,” he said.

Hontiveros stressed that she's not sensitive, she simply doesn't appreciate rude behavior.

“Ayaw ko lang talaga ng bastos," she said. "Ayaw ko ng walang-hiya, lalo na pag pinag-uuusapan natin [ang] seryosong bagay [tulad ng] war on drugs at saka extrajudicial killings.”

On the drug war deaths, going to hell

Hontiveros grilled Duterte on whether drug suspects deserved to be killed, agitating him.

"Sinasabi 'nyo ba na ang mga drug users at drug criminals ay dinedeserve nilang mamatay na lang kaysa pumunta sa jail?" she asked. "Para iparaphrase ko si Patricia Evangelista, do some people need killing?"

Duterte was in his element of cursing again, saying, "Presidente ako, naggastos ako sa gobyerno, bakit ako magbubuhay sa mga p****g i***g 'yan." He added that instead of using the money for spent on prisoners' food, he'd just give it to the unemployed.

Hontiveros asked whether it's better for the suspects to die than get imprisoned, to which Duterte replied, "Wala akong pakialam sa kriminal kung saan silang impiyerno gusto nilang mapunta."

"Doon sila sa impiyerno at doon tayo magkita," he added.

But Hontiveros appeared to play Duterte's game.

"Wala namang jurisdiction ang Senado sa impiyerno. Dito lang sa bansa natin puwede tayong mag-investigate," she said.

"Doon tayo pupunta," Duterte replied, to which Hontiveros said, "Wala po akong ambisyong pumuntang impiyerno."

On responsibility for Kian Delos Santos's death

Hontiveros also criticized Duterte for having "casual" responses to the drug war killings.

"Gusto ko lang pong ipaalala sa ating lahat na seryoso ng usapin nito," she said. "At hindi ko po na-appreciate ang napakacasual na mga sagot ni dating presidente tungkol sa patayan. At tumatawa at pumapalakpak pa ang ilang kasama dito sa Session Hall."

"So siguro pigilin na natin ang nakasanayan natin na normalized at gawing katatawanan ang patayan,” she added.

Hontiveros then mentioned the case of Kian de los Santos, the 17-year-old student who was killed during the drug war, and asked whether Duterte was responsible for his death.

"Si Kian de los Santos, menor de edad, hindi armado, nagmamakaawa, pero pinatay ng mga pulis sa drug war. Do you take responsibility for the death of Kian de los Santos?" she asked Duterte.

Duterte said he was only responsible for crafting the anti-drug policies, but not for De Los Santos's death.

"Walang maniwala na abogado sa akin niyan,” he said.

Hontiveros then asked if Duterte was responsible for the death of 20-year-old Karl Anthony Nuñez, another extrajudicial killing victim.

Duterte responded that guilt is personal, a criminal law principle in which an individual cannot be held criminally liable for another person's actions.

"Hindi, specific ang law. Guilt is personal. Magtanong ka muna ng abogado. Magtanong ka muna ngayon before we proceed," he said, before raising his voice. "Guilt is personal. Hindi mo pwedeng ipasa sa iba yan!"

Duterte insisted that he was not responsible for specific crimes committed, before raising his voice again.

"Hindi pwede ‘yan. At saka kung sabihin ko I will take full responsibility, magdating tayo sa korte," he said, "hindi naman tatanggapin yan!"

Hontiveros then called Duterte out for raising his voice.

"Mr. Chair," she said, pertaining to Sen. Koko Pimentel, "and if the resource person could keep his volume and pitch to a normal level."

Oplan Tokhang

Upon assuming office in 2016, the Duterte administration launched its flagship bloody war on drugs called Oplan Tokhang, which 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.

The widespread killings drew international condemnation, prompting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to initiate an investigation into potential crimes against humanity.

Malacañang said it has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, and Duterte threatened to withdraw the country’s membership from the ICC. (He ordered the withdrawal in 2018, which officially took effect the following year, or after the ICC launched a preliminary probe.)

Duterte has since maintained that he will not cooperate with any investigation, despite earlier pronouncements that he’s willing to face the consequences.

However, the ICC was unfazed, even as the Supreme Court ruled that the government must cooperate with the ICC investigation because the possible crimes happened while the Philippines was still a member state.

Throughout time, the ICC moved to pursue its investigation, the non-cooperation even from Duterte’s successor Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. notwithstanding.