The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally authorized an official probe into alleged crimes against humanity in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody campaign: “war on drugs” which has dealt ethical win to human rights defenders and families of victims killed, including innocent children. Duterte and his police chiefs said that the killings were forms of self-defense, and insists that the ICC has no right to meddle in the country’s affairs. “If there are complaints, it should be filed in the Philippines because our courts are working. The ICC has no jurisdiction,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.
The jurisdiction of the ICC is based on the charges used in the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals, to wit: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and wars of aggression. The outcome of this case, may lead to the proposed charges against Mr. Duterte.
The ICC also wrote that they have reviewed supporting materials that indicate that Philippine authorities “failed to take meaningful steps to investigate or prosecute the killings.” It also noted that those criminals of the killings were even offered “cash payments, promotions or awards for killings in the so-called ‘war on drugs’ campaign.”
If the opposition wins the 2022 elections, we can expect the government’s wholehearted cooperation with the ICC, including turning over Mr. Duterte to the committee for trial and compiling evidence against him.Hearing the news of the ICC decision, Llore Pasco, a resident of Metro Manila whose two sons were killed in May 2017, said she is relieved that the case is moving forward. She was one of the mothers who petitioned the ICC to investigate the deadly “war on drugs”. Our voters in the coming elections may have a big say on the outcome of this ICC case. Vote wisely.
