The following is the timeline of important major events that occurred during the Philippine drug war, which began in 2016 under the administration of Rodrigo R. Duterte.
2016-2022 2016 June 30 - Rodrigo R. Duterte is inaugurated as the 16th president of the Philippines. In his speeches, he urged civilians to fight and kill potential drug suspects. July 3 - Philippine National Police announced they had killed 30 alleged drug dealers since Duterte was sworn in as president on June 30. August 2 - Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa and his son Kerin Espinosa, both linked to drug trafficking, surrenders. August 3 - PNP had a shootout with twelve armed men with alleged links to Espinosa in Barangay Benolho in Albuera. Six of the men were killed, and of shabu (methamphetamine) worth , along with some firearms, were seized. August 25 - Duterte releases a drug matrix showing the structure of drug trafficking operations at the New Bilibid Prison and identified the two former top officials of the Department of Justice, the former provincial governor and board member of Pangasinan, and the former Bureau of Corrections director as being involved in the Bilibid narcotics trade. September 15 - Edgar Matobato, an alleged member of the Davao Death Squad surrenders and confesses about the group's activities and Duterte's participation. September 19 - Leila de Lima, Duterte's most staunch rival, is ousted from her position heading the Senate committee. September 28 - A riot erupted inside Building 14 at New Bilibid Prison. Initial reports from acting Bureau of Corrections director Rolando Asuncion said that one inmate witnessed three other convicts, namely Peter Co, Tony Co and Vicente Sy, using methamphetamine moments before the riot started. Tony Co was stabbed and killed. October 18 - Jesus Tulin, alleged hitman of the Espinosas, was killed in a rest house together with his wife in Barangay Talisayan, Albuera, Leyte.Kerwin Espinosa’s alleged hitman killed in Leyte rest house October 28 - Datu Saudi Ampatuan Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom and nine others, including his five bodyguards, were killed during an anti-illegal drug operation in Makilala, North Cotabato. According to police, the group were heavily armed and opened fire on police, who found sachets of methamphetamine at the scene. No police were injured. Dimaukom was among the drug list named by Duterte on August 7; he had immediately surrendered, and then returned to Datu Saudi Ampatuan. October 29 - Drug suspect Fernando Balagbis was killed while detained in Baybay City Jail. November 5 - Rolando Espinosa, who had been detained at Baybay City Sub-Provincial Jail for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, was killed in what was described as a shootout inside his jail cell with personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
2017 January 4 - Sputnik gang member by the name of Randy Lizardo shot and killed policeman PO1 Enrico Domingo in Tondo. Domingo, together with other PNP officers, were conducting a buy-bust operation inside Lizardo's home. January 13, 2017 March 11 - Duterte issued an executive order creating the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs (ICAD), composed of 21 government entities, headed by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), tasked to lead the fight against illegal drugs. July 30 - Reynaldo Parojinog, the mayor of Ozamiz City, was killed along with 14 others, including his wife Susan, in a dawn raid at around 2:30 am on his home in San Roque Lawis. August 16–18 - Three teenagers, Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman, were killed in anti-drug operations in Caloocan, Metro Manila. August 17 - 25 alleged criminals were killed in separate police shootouts and drug busts in Manila, including members of the notorious Bahala Na Gang. August 23 - 5-year-old student named Danica May Garcia was killed by a stray bullet coming from unidentified gunmen in Dagupan during an anti-drug operation. August 24 - Narco-lawyer Rogelio Bato Jr., the attorney of Rolando Espinosa, was killed by unknown assailants in Tacloban together with high school student Angelica Pabonita. August 24, 2016 October 12 - Duterte announced the transfer of anti-drug operations to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, ending the involvement of the PNP.
2018 January 18 – Human Rights Watch released World Report 2018, criticizing the Philippine drug war and alleging that thousands of people had been killed since the campaign began in 2016. February 8 – The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced the opening of a preliminary examination into alleged crimes committed in connection with the Philippine drug war. March 14 – The Philippine government formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the International Criminal Court. June 18 - A minor, 4-year-old Bladen Skyler Abatayo was killed by a stray bullet in Cebu through an 'anti-drug operation'. July 2 – Tanauan, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili, known for his anti-drug campaign, was assassinated by a sniper during a flag-raising ceremony. July 3 – General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote was ambushed and killed by unidentified gunmen. October 10 - Six members of a Waray-Waray gang were killed in a buy-bust operation in Barangay San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal. October 10, 2018 October 30 – President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 66, institutionalizing the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) and establishing a whole-of-government approach to the anti-drug campaign. November 29 – The Caloocan Regional Trial Court convicted three police officers for the murder of Kian delos Santos, marking the first conviction of police personnel in a drug-war-related killing.
2019 March 17 – The Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute officially took effect, ending its membership in the International Criminal Court. April 1 – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency reported continued implementation of the anti-drug campaign and expansion of rehabilitation programs. June 3 – Jason Cada, small-time drug pusher, was ambushed and shot dead in Tacloban, Leyte. July 27 – Three police officers convicted in the murder of Kian delos Santos appealed their convictions before the Court of Appeals. September 16 – The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution requesting a comprehensive report on the human rights situation in the Philippines. October 7 – Vice President Leni Robredo accepted President Duterte's offer to serve as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD). November 24 – President Duterte removed Vice President Robredo from her position as ICAD co-chairperson after less than three weeks.
2020 June 4 – The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released a report stating that thousands of killings linked to the drug war had occurred amid what it described as widespread impunity. The report cited at least 8,663 deaths based on official government data and called for greater accountability. June 25 – Retired SPO3 Francisco Homeres Jr., a policeman associated with illegal narcotics, was killed in an ambush by unidentified gunmen in Tacloban, Leyte. June 26 – A police anti-drug operation in Barangay Minuyan, City of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs and the deaths of several suspects during an armed encounter with law enforcement officers. July 7 – Rolando Loyola, a leader of the Sigue-Sigue Sputnik, was arrested during Operation Pagtugis led by Regional Intelligence Division, NCRPO in Sampaloc, Manila. July 28, 2020 July 30 - Wesley Barayuga, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary, was gunned down by unknown assailants while cruising in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. He was included without evidence in Duterte's narcolist. NAPOLCOM commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and police colonel Royina Garma we're suspected of the hit. August 7 – Former drug user Jason Golong was shot and killed by unidentified assailants in Tacloban. According to later accounts, the attackers used high-caliber 5.56 mm firearms. August 25 – Retired police officer Pio Peñaflor and his son, Alphy Peñaflor, were shot dead by unidentified gunmen near the Palo Metropolitan Cathedral in Palo, Leyte. The former was a drug user who had just finished rehabilitation at Department of Health - Treatment and Rehabilitation Center. September 13 – Retired police officers Dennis Monteza and Constantino Torre, together with former jail guard Ian Pat Cabredo and his live-in partner Maritess Pami, were ambushed and killed in Palo, Leyte. September 29 – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency announced that more than 18,000 anti-drug operations conducted from January to July 2020 had resulted in the arrest of 26,000 drug suspects, including 1,121 high-value targets. November 24 – Police Captain Ariel Ilagan of the Southern Police District was ambushed and killed while driving at Imus, Cavite. Ilagan previously headed the Taguig City Police's Drug Enforcement Unit and had recently been transferred to the Discipline Law and Order Section (DLOS), which handles “administrative and less grave cases” of policemen. September 13, 2020 December 3 – Mayor of Los Baños, Laguna, Caesar Perez, was assassinated at the Los Baños Municipal Hall. Perez was one of several politicians who was included in Duterte's list of "narco-politicians".
2021 January 26 – The PNP reported that anti-drug operations conducted during 2020 resulted in thousands of arrests and the seizure of billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs, while hundreds of suspects were killed in police operations. February 10 – Infamous drug trafficker Jayson Sampiano Deniega, who was also #5 Most Wanted Person in Lanao del Sur, was killed in a shootout together with 2 cohorts against a joint task force consisting of the Balabagan Municipal Police Station and the Marine Battalion Landing Team 5. March 29 – Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency personnel had a shootout near a shopping mall along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City after a miscoordination during an anti-drug operation. Two police officers, two PDEA agents, and one informant were killed. June 23 – The Department of Justice released the results of its review of selected anti-drug operations, acknowledging irregularities in several cases involving deaths during police operations. September 15 – The Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court authorized a formal investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed in connection with the Philippine drug war from 2011 to 2019. November 10 – The Department of Justice disclosed that dozens of anti-drug operations resulting in deaths were under further review as part of the government's examination of drug-war cases. December 31 – Government data indicated that official anti-drug operations since July 2016 had resulted in more than 6,200 deaths and over 300,000 arrests by the end of 2021.
2022 January 4 – The PNP reported that anti-drug operations conducted during 2021 resulted in the arrest of thousands of drug suspects and the seizure of billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs nationwide. May 9 – The Philippines conducted national and local elections that resulted in the victory of presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos, who pledged to continue anti-drug efforts while placing greater emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation programs. June 30 – President Rodrigo Duterte ended his six-year term in office. Government figures reported more than 6,200 deaths during official anti-drug operations since 2016. July 1 – Presidency of Bongbong Marcos assumed office and announced that the anti-drug campaign would continue but with greater emphasis on prevention, rehabilitation, and targeting major traffickers.