The statements made by former president Rodrigo Duterte during his recent appearance before the Senate hearing on the war on drugs can be used to press charges against him, according to Senate leaders.

Senate President Francis Escudero said that that every word Duterte spoke during the public hearing were “under oath” and can be used by parties who might be interested to file a case against him.

“The difference about yesterday is that all the words he uttered were under oath, he was sworn and said that it is true as far as he knows, which can be used for or against him,” Escudero said at the regular Kapihan sa Senado in Filipino.

He added that Duterte’s jokes should still be covered by his testimonies made under oath.

“And we’ll let the lawyers weigh in on that, analyze that, because the beauty of the transcript is that the smile or if it’s just a joke or not are not there,” Escudero said.

For her part, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros said she hopes the Department of Justice (DOJ) will eventually file of cases against Duterte, especially with the admissions he made during the hearing.

During the hearings, Duterte issued a challenge that charges be filed against him in the proper court.

“I hope the Department of Justice as well as investigators of the International Criminal Court are seriously reviewing the many admissions and confessions made under oath by former President Duterte, such as his creation of a death squad in Davao City, his attempt as president to convince police officials to kill certain individuals, and his order to police officers to ‘encourage’ suspects to fight back so they could be summarily executed,” Hontiveros said.

To recall, Hontiveros and Duterte clashed during the Senate hearing over the idea of the latter of encouraging suspects to fight back during operations so authorities will have the prerogative to kill them.

“Illegal drugs and crime are problems, but killing, especially of the innocent or defenseless, is not the solution. No law degree or local position required, no matter how many times Duterte insists that it is for the welfare of the majority,” Hontiveros stressed in Filipino.

(PHOTO FROM PNA)