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VP Sara Duterte questions deaths linked to drug war, cites rampant gun violence
VP Sara Duterte questions deaths linked to drug war, cites rampant gun violence
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VP Sara Duterte questions deaths linked to drug war, cites rampant gun violence
by Luwela Amor30 July 2026
Photo courtesy: Alvin & Tourism/Facebook

Vice President Sara Duterte claimed that gun violence is rampant in the Philippines as she questioned whether all deaths linked to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, could be attributed to the war on drugs, citing that hiring a gunman could cost as little as P5,000 per killing.

Speaking to her supporters during a rally outside the International Criminal Court (ICC) detention center in The Hague, Netherlands, on Wednesday, Duterte argued that the killings during her father’s presidency and time as Davao City mayor did not necessarily constitute crimes against humanity, saying it remained unclear whether all those killed were victims of the drug war.

“They cannot even say right now if the victims are truly victims of the drug war because gun violence is so common in the Philippines,” Duterte said.

The vice president gave an example, saying that if her husband, Atty. Mans Carpio, were to have a mistress, she could pay only P5,000 to have the woman killed.

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“I have a husband. My husband has a mistress. I can hire a gunman for P5,000 to kill the mistress,“ the Vice President said.

“That is how, for P5,000, that is how bad gun violence in the Philippines is. And that is, again, yes, EJK,” she added.

Duterte then questioned the basis for classifying all reported victims as casualties of the anti-drug campaign.

“How can you say that all your listed victims, all your listed complainants are supposed victims of the drug war? It can be that it is a crime of passion. It can be murder because of a third party in a relationship. It can be plain hold-up,” she asked.

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“How can they say now that all the victims there are victims of the drug war?” she added.

Duterte also maintained that the ICC’s actions against her father had no legal basis.

“Kaya lagi kong sinasabi kapag ako ay tinatanong ano ang tingin ko sa desisyon ng nilabas ng ICC, walang basehan sa batas,” she said.

The former President is facing charges of crimes against humanity before the ICC over alleged killings committed during his presidency and his tenure as Davao City mayor.

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He has been detained at the ICC detention center in The Hague since March 2025.

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