By means of John Victor D. Ordoñez And Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporters
SENATOR Ronald M. dela Rosa, former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s police chief who enforced his deadly drug war, said Wednesday he is not concerned about the The International Criminal Court (ICC), amid a Senate investigation into the crackdown, added that it would not recuse itself from the investigation.
“The fact remains that they have no jurisdiction over the Philippines even as they monitor this development,” he told a virtual news briefing via Zoom in mixed English and Filipino.
Mr. Dela Rosa said it would be a “disservice to the Filipino people” if he were to recuse himself from investigations, citing the need to debunk lies and paint a true picture of the anti-illegal drug campaign.
The Hague tribunal is investigating alleged crimes against humanity committed during the drug war, in which thousands of suspects were killed.
The government estimates that at least 6,117 people were killed in Duterte’s drug war between July 1, 2016 and May 31, 2022, but human rights groups say the death toll could be as high as 30,000.
The tough-talking former president told senators Monday that he offers “no excuses, no excuses” for his war on drugs as he made his first appearance at a Senate hearing examining the crackdown.
He admitted that when he was mayor, he ordered police officers in his hometown Davao City to incite criminals to fight back during anti-illegal drug raids so that police have a reason to retaliate. He added that he had an assassin tasked with rooting out crimes. .
Mr. Duterte said his former police chiefs were “death squad commanders” as they allegedly controlled crime in the city, but he denied ordering them to kill innocent people.
The Philippines under Duterte withdrew from the ICC in March 2018 amid criticism that his government had systematically killed drug suspects during police raids. It came into effect a year later.
On Tuesday, Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero said he would leave it to the blue ribbon committee to decide whether to invite ICC representatives to answer questions about the Philippines’ withdrawal from the tribunal.
FULL RESPONSIBILITY
He said the international tribunal has not yet sent a formal notice to the Philippine government on its investigation into Mr. Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel, who heads the blue-ribbon subcommittee handling the investigation, said the Senate would likely invite ICC officials through another committee.
“Probably a different committee, not the Blue Ribbon subcommittee,” he said Business world in a Viber message.
“Maybe the Justice Committee or the Foreign Relations Committee.”
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ruled out cooperation with the ICC, citing the country’s functioning legal system.
“The Blue Ribbon Subcommittee exists to hold hearings in support of legislation related to misconduct or abuse of power committed by a public or elected official,” Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
“If the ICC has experience with this, they can be invited to provide this input.”
Also on Wednesday, the Philippine Commission on Human Rights (CHR) urged full accountability for those responsible for extrajudicial killings in the drug war.
In a statement, the agency said it is trying to identify responsible officials and people as more key witnesses come forward to explain the events surrounding the campaign.
“In light of the recent revelations, the CHR expresses deep concern over the testimony of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who confessed that he would ‘rather have suspected that drug dealers had been killed’ rather than grant them a fair trial, admitting that he has in the past encouraged law enforcement to taunt suspects to justify their neutralization,” it added.
Citing its April 2022 report, the CHR highlighted a disturbing pattern among law enforcement officials claiming that victims had resisted arrest to justify deadly actions.
This practice violates international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and undermines the Philippine Constitution’s guarantee of fair trial and the right to life.
“The commission remains steadfast in protecting the rights of the Filipino people, including their right to a safe community and the need to address the proliferation of illicit drugs,” the commission said, adding that it is critical to not to violate human rights and the right of free access. fair trial.
“We continue to emphasize the importance of addressing the root causes of the illicit drug problem and implementing a holistic approach for a sustainable long-term solution,” it added.