Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has ignited fresh controversy by dismissing human rights groups’ estimates of 30,000 drug war killings as “fake news,” even as evidence of widespread abuses continues to mount and former President Duterte faces international justice.
Former Police Chief Defends Controversial Anti-Drug Campaign
The air grew tense at a PDP Laban rally in Mangaldan, Pangasinan as Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa passionately rejected claims that 30,000 people died during the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.
“Those claims of 30,000 deaths are all fake news,” Dela Rosa declared to supporters, his voice rising above the crowd[citation needed]. The former Philippine National Police chief, who spearheaded the controversial anti-drug campaign before becoming a senator, stood firmly behind the government’s much lower official death toll of around 6,200.
This significant discrepancy between government figures and estimates from human rights organizations has been a persistent point of contention. Groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have consistently reported that more than 30,000 Filipinos were killed in the “drug war,” with most victims coming from impoverished urban communities.
Mourning Duterte's ICC Arrest
Dela Rosa didn’t hide his emotional response to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent arrest by Philippine authorities on an International Criminal Court warrant. The former president faces charges of crimes against humanity related to extrajudicial killings during his time as Davao City mayor and his nationwide anti-drug campaign.
“Who among you wasn’t hurt when they forcefully brought President Duterte to another country? We were all hurt. Until now, we are all mourning,” Dela Rosa told the crowd, his words resonating with supporters[citation needed].
The arrest has been described by Amnesty International as “a long-awaited and monumental step for justice for the thousands of victims and survivors” of the drug war, which the organization says “turned much of the Philippines into a nation of mourning”.
Isolated Incidents or Systematic Abuse?
While Dela Rosa admitted there were police abuses during anti-drug operations, he insisted these were isolated cases that were properly addressed. This claim contradicts findings from human rights organizations that documented systematic patterns of abuse.
“The police and paid killers have built an economy off extrajudicial executions,” according to Amnesty International, which documented cases where “police stole money and other valuables from their homes, and wedding rings off the fingers of the deceased”.
Human Rights Watch has also documented the lasting impact on children who lost parents in the campaign. Many children experienced psychological distress and economic hardship after losing family breadwinners, with some forced to leave school, work, or even live on the streets.
Political Motivations?
The senator suggested that critics seeking international action have a hidden agenda, telling supporters: “They have big plans to seize power in the government”[citation needed].
Defending the drug war’s intentions, Dela Rosa emphasized: “We didn’t wage a war on drugs to get rich. We did it to save the future of Filipino youth”[citation needed].
He painted a stark picture of the threat that prompted the crackdown, claiming drug lords had begun controlling local elections in some areas. “We had areas that were controlled by drug lords; they would decide who would become mayor, governor, congressman,” he stated[citation needed].
A Nation Divided
The ongoing debate over the drug war continues to divide Philippine society. While Duterte and his policies maintained high approval ratings during his presidency, human rights advocates have consistently called for accountability.
The ICC’s investigation, which began in September 2021, seeks to end what Amnesty International called “a pervasive culture of impunity” that “has worsened under the Duterte administration”15.
As the judicial process unfolds internationally, Dela Rosa’s comments highlight the deep political divisions that remain over one of the most controversial chapters in recent Philippine history.
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