NCCP Statement on the 10th Anniversary of the Duterte Administration’s “War on Drugs”
Ten years ago, on June 30, 2016, former President Rodrigo Duterte assumed the highest office in the land. Then the slaughter started. The so-called war on drugs made killings of thousands of suspected drug users and small-time pushers, many from poor and marginalized communities. Many lost their lives without due process. Behind the statistics are grieving parents, widows, orphaned children, and communities left to bear the enduring trauma of violence.
The culture of impunity brought about by the killings were nurtured by former Pres. Duterte and his trusted lieutenants, with Senators Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go, among others. Every word uttered by the former president to justify the killings were lapped up by his rabid supporters further worsening the culture of impunity and deterioration of human rights. Public discourse became increasingly hostile toward accountability, while misinformation, disinformation and fear further emboldened abuses.
The vitriol that was spewed by the Duterte administration and the rights violations that go with it, were extended to activists and human rights defenders and institutionalized through the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) remained steadfast in speaking out against the killings and human rights violations in both national and international venues including the UN Human Rights Council. Our call to stop the killings, respect human rights and justice for the victims are rooted in our faith and belief that we are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27), thus when rights are denied and violated, the divine image within the human person is violated, and the dignity that it confers is diminished.
Thus, the NCCP welcomed the arrest of the former president by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. However, his co-accused, including the fugitive Sen. Bato, remains at large. Moreover, his supporters are still trying to undermine the rule of law, including international law, by peddling fake news, mounting mobilizations, and supporting politicians trying to undermine efforts for accountability, including the impeachment process against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The culture of impunity did not end with the Duterte presidency. According to the Dahas Project of the UP Third World Studies Center, drug related killings continue, with more than 1,200 victims under the administration of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Killings and rights violations against human rights defenders persists, and the NTF-ELCAC is still continuing its deadly practice of red-tagging.
Such is the legacy of the Duterte presidency.
Ten years after the beginning of the so-called “war on drugs,” our vigil continues. The NCCP remains committed to accompanying the victims and their families in their search for truth, justice, healing, and accountability. We will continue to stand with the bereaved, defend the oppressed, and proclaim that every human life is sacred because every person bears the image of God.
As the prophet Amos declares, “Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (Amos 5:24). #
Signed and issued on this day, 1st of July, 2026.
The Most Rev. Brent Harry W. Alawas
Chairperson
Bishop Joseph G. Agpaoa
Vice Chairperson for Men
Ms. Jennifer Ferariza-Meneses
Vice-Chairperson for Women
Rev. Jon Dave A. Angeles
Vice Chairperson for Youth
Rev. Leonardo R. Morada
Corporate Treasurer
Ms. Minnie Anne Mata-Calub
General Secretary
