A House panel in the Philippines has placed former President Rodrigo Duterte at the heart of a “grand criminal enterprise,” according to a preliminary report from an ongoing investigation.
This inquiry has been examining the deadly war on drugs championed by Duterte during his presidency.
The panel’s findings suggest that Duterte may have orchestrated a network that not only fought the drug menace but also benefited financially from it.
The investigation has been unfolding for several months, drawing attention to the methods used during Duterte’s administration to tackle drug-related crimes.
Duterte, who served as the President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, launched a controversial anti-drug campaign that resulted in thousands of fatalities. Critics have often labeled the war on drugs as brutal, with allegations of extrajudicial killings and human rights violations.
Duterte has consistently defended his actions during the drug war. He maintains that his primary goal was to rid the Philippines of drug-related crime, asserting that firm measures were necessary to combat a pervasive issue.
