By Liza Soriano
MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte stated on Monday (Oct 28, 2024) that he waged his controversial war on drugs to “protect” the Filipino people.
“I did what I had to do because kailangan kong gawin. Why? To protect the people and my country,” he said upon his arrival at the Senate to attend the Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into the war on drugs.
When asked if he had any regrets about his approach to the drug war, Duterte replied, “It is for the Filipino to make the judgment.”
Former Senator Leila De Lima, who was detained in 2017 on drug charges and was a vocal critic of Duterte’s drug policies, arrived shortly before him.
Commenting on his encounter with De Lima, Duterte said, “I am here to make an accounting of what I did as President, so walang problema.”
Meanwhile, De Lima shared that she had “mixed feelings” about appearing before the committee.
“Mixed feelings kasi nagpapaalala ‘yan sa akin ng mga nangyari noon, kung ano ang mga ginawa nila sa akin. And at the same time, there’s this feeling of real hope, baka nga naman magsimula na talaga iyong hustisya and accountability,” she said.
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