PNP on ICC drug war probe: We are not hiding anything
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 30) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) maintained it is not hiding anything but will only cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it acknowledges that the Philippines has jurisdiction to investigate the alleged killings under the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign.
“We are not hiding anything. Magsubmit sila (ICC) kung may maitutulong sila and we will do the process,” PNP Chief Rodolfo Azurin said in a press briefing on Monday in reaction to the ICC's decision last week to authorize the resumption of the probe into the thousands of drug war deaths in the country.
[Translation: We are not hiding anything. They (ICC) can submit if they can help then we will do the process.]
“We don’t see any reason why the ICC would come in and investigate dahil tuloy-tuloy naman ang ginagawang imbestigasyon ng kapulisan in tandem with the Department of Justice,” he added.
[Translation: We don't see any reason why the ICC would come in and investigate because the police are continuously investigating in collaboration with the Department of Justice.]
READ: PH gov't open to dialogue with ICC, but won't accept 'impositions' — DOJ chief
Azurin insisted that ICC must give “due respect” to the judicial process of the Philippines. “We are a sovereign country. We have our own judicial proceeding,” the police chief said.
Over a year after it halted the inquiry following a request from the Philippines, the ICC on Jan. 26 said it authorized the resumption of the probe because it was not convinced that the government is “making a real or genuine effort” to investigate and prosecute those behind the killings.
After examining materials submitted by the ICC prosecutor, the government and victims, the chamber concluded that initiatives done by the government “do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a way that would sufficiently mirror the Court’s investigation.”
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan earlier asked judges to allow him to reactivate his probe into the alleged crimes against humanity committed between Nov.1, 2011 and March 16, 2019 in connection with the so-called war on drugs. The period covers the time Rodrigo Duterte was a vice mayor, then mayor of Davao City. He then served as the country's president from 2016-2022.
READ: ICC authorizes prosecutor to resume probe into PH drug war
The Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute that established the ICC took effect on March 17, 2019. But ICC retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes that occurred in the country while it was still a State party from 2011 to 2019.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said the death toll in the Duterte administration's war on drugs stood at 6,248 as of April 30, 2022. Local and international human rights organizations, however, estimate a higher tally of between 12,000 and 30,000.
