‘GRAND BUDOL’
AS the International Criminal Court (ICC) moves forward with its case against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, a member of the House Quad Comm has expressed optimism that the trial will reveal the “grand budol” on the war on drugs.
According to House Assistant Majority Leader Zambales Representative Jay Khonghun, the so-called war on drugs was exploited to generate billions for those in power during the previous administration.
Previous investigations have suggested that rather than eradicating narcotics, the campaign increased drug prices, consolidated control over the illegal market, and funneled profits into illicit businesses such as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
“Para simple, ganito po: Bakit Grand Budol ang War on Drugs? Kasi hindi lang ito madugo—ito po ay isang bilyong-pisong negosyo. ‘Yung maliliit na nagtutulak, pinagpapatay, pero ‘yung malalaking sindikato, lalo pang lumakas. Bakit? Kasi sila ang kumontrol sa supply. At kapag sila lang ang natira, sila rin ang nagtakda ng presyo,” Khonghun said.
“Kung talagang giyera kontra droga ang naganap, bakit hindi tinarget ang malalaking supplier? Bakit ‘yung maliliit lang ang inubos, pero ‘yung malalaki, lalo pang lumakas? Sinong nakinabang sa lumobong presyo ng droga?” Khonghun, chairman of the House Special Committee on Bases Conversion, questioned.
During the House Quad Comm hearing last December, Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop, the committee’s senior vice chair, had delivered the panel’s initial conclusion that former President Duterte’s controversial war on drugs allegedly served as a cover for a “grand criminal enterprise” involving high-ranking government officials, systemic corruption and international drug trafficking networks.
The initial findings of the joint panel—composed of the House Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts—indicate that Duterte and his inner circle allegedly enabled and profited from the drug trade they had publicly vowed to eliminate.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the Quad Comm has started to uncover a grand criminal enterprise, and, it would seem that at the center of it is former President Duterte. Napakasakit po nito dahil pawang tayo ay nabudol,” he said.
“Mahirap po ang trabaho natin dito sa Quad Comm. Walang gustong bumangga sa isang popular na dating Presidente. Pero kami po, tulad niya, ay halal ng taong-bayan,” Acop said.
The ICC trial will provide a critical opportunity to examine how Duterte’s drug war was not just about killings, but allegedly about a vast, state-enabled financial network that profited from both the drug trade and money laundering through POGOs, Khonghun stressed.
As the international case progresses, the committee is also pushing for domestic criminal charges against those implicated in the hearings, ensuring that all financiers, enablers, and protectors of the illegal drug trade face accountability.
According to Acop’s presentation, the Duterte administration’s most trusted officials apparently wielded both the “Purse and the Sword” of the Republic, but instead of serving the people, they allegedly weaponized these powers for personal and political gain.
“It is most unfortunate, however, that the Sword was used to slit, stab, and slash the very People it swore to protect—We the People—and the Purse was used not to benefit the Republic, but to line the pockets ofthe few. Nilunod nila ang bayan natin ng droga, at kumita dahil dito,” Acop said.
He cited the testimony of former police intelligence officer Col. Eduardo Acierto, who categorically named former President Duterte and Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as “integral personalities in allegedly protecting the illegal drugs network in the Philippines.”
Testimonies also revealed Yang’s connection to the 2004 Dumoy laboratory raid in Davao City, where over 100 kilos of high-grade shabu worth P300 million—the largest drug bust of its time—were uncovered.
“The reports relayed to us by Col. Acierto only support the participation of several high-ranking officials, including Senator Bato Dela Rosa, Director General Aaron Aquino, Bong Go, Wilkins Villanueva…Umabot po sa matataas na opisyal na ito ang report ni Col. Acierto. Inuulit ko, walang nangyari,” Acop emphasized.
