MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday made a rare appearance before a congressional hearing investigating his war on drugs, saying he takes "full responsibility" for the bloody anti-narcotics campaign but also denied that killing was policy.

Duterte, 79, told senators to treat him as a witness rather than as a former president or a friend. 

His former aide, Sen. Christopher "Bong" Go, and his first police chief and architect of the drug war, Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, were present at the hearing.

Duterte repeated his promise to police officers enforcing his anti-narcotics drive that he will be the one responsible for their actions in anti-drug operations during his administration.

"I alone take full legal responsibility sa lahat ng nagawa ng pulis... Ako ang managot at ako ang makulong huwag 'yung pulis na sumunod sa order ko. Kawawa naman nagtatrabaho lang," he said.

(I alone take full legal responsibility for everything the police have done... I am the one who should be held accountable and imprisoned, not the police who followed my orders. They're just doing their jobs.)

'I did what I had to do': Duterte defends drug war

The International Criminal Court is investigating Duterte's war on drugs for alleged crimes against humanity. Observers said the ICC might release a warrant of arrest for Duterte this year, which would signal the beginning of trial.

The former president thanked the sub-panel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for inviting him to the probe, which was initiated following explosive revelations at the House investigation that alleged a "reward system" during the drug war.

He said he attended the hearing so that, once and for all, the truth would emerge.

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DUTERTE REPEATS DRUG WAR RHETORIC

"[M]y mandate as president was to protect the country and the Filipino people, do not question my policies because I offer no apologies, no excuses, I did what I had to do and whether you believe it or not I did it for my country," Duterte said.

"The war on illegal drugs is not about killing people this is about the innocent and the defenseless," he said.

Duterte continued with his prepared speech, occasionally deviating from it, by repeating his rhetoric during the height of the drug war when critics sounded the alarm about the alleged extrajudicial killings.

"The war on drugs is about the eradication of illegal substances such as shabu cocaine, heroin, marijuana, party drugs, and the like. The [drug] menace... ruins people, families, communities, and relationships and tears apart the social fabric, which binds the society together in peace harmony and brotherhood."

In his opening statement, Duterte also used his signature line: "I hate drugs."

'PEOPLE ADDICTED TO DRUGS NOT CRIMINALS'

Duterte claimed that he had "always viewed people addicted to illegal drugs as victims and patients requiring medical help and not as criminals."

When he assumed the presidency in 2016, Duterte in public speeches repeatedly gave police officers "shoot to kill" orders for drug personalities who resisted arrest.

Critics even viewed his policy as giving law enforcement free reign to kill, an allegation that the Palace said at the time was not part of the anti-drug policy. 

When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was elected in 2022, he sought to veer away from Duterte's deadly drug war strategy and promised to make it "bloodless."

Duterte in his speech said he had always told law enforcement agencies to be "mindful" of "self-preservation," adding "not to abuse their authority and power."

"Di ko talaga pinayagan 'yang abuso ng pulis o sundalo kailanman sa buong buhay ko and as mayor for so many years and as president," he also said.

(I have never allowed police or military abuse at any time in my life, whether as mayor for so many years or as president.)

Human rights groups in the Philippines and abroad have flagged abuses in Duterte's drug war, saying policemen killed with impunity.

They also said more drug killings occurred than the official government data of around 6,000.