HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union slammed former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the “Budol King,” accusing him of orchestrating a massive deception against the Filipino people by disguising a state-protected drug empire as a war on drugs.
“Nabudol tayo ng Budolterte! For years, he made us believe he was waging a war against drugs, but the House Quad Comm’s investigation has exposed the shocking truth: it was a war that protected and enriched his most trusted men, including his right-hand operator, Michael Yang,” Ortega declared.
“Budolterte has deceived the nation for too long. But the truth is out—and the law will catch up with him,” he added.
Duterte Dodges Questions in Hong Kong
Ortega’s statement comes after Duterte’s speech in Hong Kong, where the former president attended a Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) event organized by detained Pastor Apollo Quibuloy. Instead of addressing allegations, Duterte joked about a possible arrest and even suggested raising funds for a monument in his honor.
“Kaya lang in the meantime, mag-contribute kayo, maski 5 dollars, 10 dollars. Para paglabas ko sa presuhan, pagawaan ninyo akong monumento katabi ni [Jose] Rizal,” Duterte quipped.
But Ortega dismissed Duterte’s statements as a desperate attempt to evade accountability.
“Habang nagpapatawa siya tungkol sa monumento, hindi niya sinagot ang tunay na tanong—bakit ang pinaka-pinagkakatiwalaan niyang si Michael Yang ang sentro ng drug trade sa Pilipinas?” Ortega asked.
Congressional Probe Uncovers Drug Trade Ties
The House Quad Comm, composed of the Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts, has been investigating Duterte’s anti-drug campaign since August 2024.
Its findings suggest that high-ranking officials in Duterte’s administration actively facilitated drug trafficking while waging a violent crackdown that killed thousands.
Among the most damning revelations is the testimony of former police intelligence officer Col. Eduardo Acierto, who accused Duterte and his close allies of shielding top drug traffickers, including his former economic adviser Michael Yang.
Acierto’s intelligence reports link Yang to a transnational drug syndicate operating in China and the Philippines. Witnesses testified that Yang, along with businessmen Allan Lim and Johnson Co, orchestrated shabu shipments worth billions of pesos.
The probe also examined the role of Duterte’s son, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, in allowing large drug shipments to bypass Bureau of Customs security checks.
The ‘Tale of Two Shipments’ and the ‘Tara System’
Lawmakers highlighted two major drug smuggling cases in 2017 and 2018, dubbed the “Tale of Two Shipments.” These cases involved ₱9.8 billion worth of shabu smuggled through Manila’s port.
The shipments allegedly passed through a deeply entrenched bribery scheme known as the tara system, in which government officials received massive payoffs in exchange for clearance.
State-Sponsored Killings and Drug Empire Allegations
The congressional probe also exposed an alleged state-sponsored reward system that paid law enforcement officers for executing suspected drug offenders.
Former police officer Arturo Lascañas, a self-confessed hitman and member of Duterte’s infamous Davao Death Squad, testified that officers received up to ₱100,000 per kill and that Duterte himself personally ordered assassinations of rivals in the drug trade.
Despite over 30,000 deaths in the so-called war on drugs, key figures like Yang, Lim, and Co continued their operations with impunity.
The congressional findings add to Duterte’s growing legal troubles, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) continues its probe into alleged crimes against humanity under his administration.
Ortega: Duterte Was Running a Drug Empire, Not a Drug War
While in Hong Kong, Duterte acknowledged the possibility of arrest, telling supporters:
“Kung hulihin tayo, kung ikulong tayo, tatanggapin ko ‘yan.”
Ortega, however, dismissed Duterte’s remarks as political theater.
“He’s playing the victim while ignoring the real issue—his administration ran a state-sponsored drug cartel,” Ortega said. “The former president was never fighting a war on drugs. He was running a drug empire.”