Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte criticized the Senate on Tuesday for what he described as selective remembrance after lawmakers honored individuals he referred to as the so-called “heroes of extrajudicial killings.”
In a written statement, Duterte said the Senate’s action amounted to “selective mourning and convenient amnesia,” arguing that it highlighted one narrative while excluding others, particularly the 44 members of the Special Action Force who died during the 2015 Mamasapano operation.
“They choose to put on display the so-called ‘heroes’ of the EJK narrative, yet they refuse to even remember the SAF 44,” Duterte said, noting that no similar exhibit, speeches, or symbolic gestures were held for the fallen police commandos.
Duterte also questioned what he described as the absence of public outrage for victims of drug-related crimes, including families affected by addiction and communities impacted by illegal drug operations. He said these victims were rarely acknowledged in official commemorations.
The lawmaker raised questions about whether police officers and soldiers killed in the line of duty, including those who fought communist insurgents and terrorist groups, were being excluded from the country’s historical record and public remembrance.
“Hindi ba sila bahagi ng kasaysayan? Hindi ba sila biktima rin?” Duterte said.
He argued that the ongoing debate over the drug war should not be separated from what he described as decades of government neglect, corruption, and tolerance that allowed illegal drugs to proliferate. Duterte said condemning the consequences without addressing the causes distorted the public discussion.
The statement concluded with a call for what Duterte described as truth, balance, and honesty in national remembrance, stressing that history should not be shaped by selective narratives.
“We remember the SAF 44. We remember our fallen police officers and soldiers. We remember the innocent victims of drugs,” Duterte said.
