Rep Acop alleges Duterte at center of drug-related criminal enterprise

During a House Quad Committee hearing on Thursday, Rep. Romeo Acop alleged that former President Rodrigo Duterte is at the heart of a 'grand criminal enterprise' involving illegal drug trade and other crimes.

The committee's findings suggest that those in power from 2016 to 2022 were responsible for spreading the drug problem instead of addressing it, with key figures including Duterte, Sen. Christopher Go, and former police chief Ronald Dela Rosa allegedly protecting an illegal drug network.

Acop cited testimonies indicating a reward system that incentivized killing local drug manufacturers and distributors, enriching select individuals at the cost of countless lives, and challenged Dela Rosa to present evidence if he believed the findings were inaccurate.

Despite this, former presidential economic adviser Michael Yang was not thoroughly investigated during Duterte's presidency.

The committee’s hearings will resume in January 2025 after submitting its partial report to the plenary on December 17.