Justice Minister Remulla stated that in the investigation of extrajudicial killings during the anti-drug campaign, no one will be excluded, including former President Duterte.
Remulla, along with the head of the National Bureau of Investigation, Haimon Xendiago, and the head of the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), Nicolas Torre III, held discussions to restart the investigation into a series of unresolved POGO extrajudicial killings.
Torre III stated that if the investigation finds sufficient evidence, charges will be brought against all involved, including Duterte. Torre said, "We will act based on the direction of the investigation and the evidence, and anyone related to extrajudicial killings could potentially face charges."
When asked about the possible types of charges, Torre revealed that extrajudicial killings could be considered as murder and prosecuted accordingly.
Duterte's chief legal counsel, Banillo, responded by denying the existence of extrajudicial killings. He stated, "The causes of these deaths were either resistance during police operations or internal conflicts within drug gangs." Banillo also added that if there were evidence of police involvement in extrajudicial killings, Torre would have already brought charges against relevant personnel in the previous government.
Currently, four committees in the House of Representatives are investigating the allegations of extrajudicial killings during Duterte's anti-drug campaign. Official data shows that about 6,000 people died in the drug operations, while human rights organizations claim the actual death toll could be as high as 30,000.
