Last week, the press secretary of the Malacañang Palace noted that up until now, the decision regarding the former President Rodrigo Duterte's status as a hero for his war on drugs is still pending. "More than anything, the announcement of any hero should not come from the man himself – it is for the people to decide if they consider him a hero and if he deserves to be honored," said Claire Castro. She commented on Duterte's recent statement, calling on Filipino workers in Hong Kong to build him a monument if he ends up in prison.
Following this, the administration admitted that while Duterte still has strong support from his followers, his actions have caused irreparable damage, harming seven families of victims of the drug war.
"It may be that for those who have not become victims of the ongoing genocide and bloody operation 'Tokhang', all this may seem like a holiday and a celebratory speech, but what of those who lost loved ones merely because they were denied due process?" The well-known figure, in his hyperbolic and humorous approach in speeches, frequently remarks that Duterte's statements are often perceived as jokes or deviations from legal scrutiny. Coincidentally, Castro dismissed Duterte's assertion that he did nothing illegal in his bloody fight against drug dealers.
"He acknowledged that there was a point when he issued commands for police to engage suspected adversaries – for what purpose? He admitted that he used it as a defense, because if the suspect resists, it may be recognized as self-defense from the part of the police; but this should not be a common practice," she emphasized.
