The NGO Human Right Watch (HRW) on Monday welcomed the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to authorize the resumption of an investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
«The ICC judges’ decision to give the green light to the resumption of the Philippines investigation by the court’s prosecutor is a step towards justice for the thousands of victims of (former Philippine President Rodrigo) Duterte’s murderous ‘war on drugs,'» said HRW Asia researcher Carlos Conde.
«President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must acknowledge the suffering of the victims’ families and cooperate with the ICC investigation so that justice can be served,» Conde added in his statement.
According to the organization, the ICC investigation in the Philippines covers alleged crimes committed between November 2011 and June 2016, including «the large number of extrajudicial killings» in Davao City when former President Rodrigo Duterte was its mayor.
Likewise, it also includes thousands of killings across the country during his presidency’s «War on Drugs» that began in June 2016.
Last January 26, the ICC judges concluded that the Philippine government failed to demonstrate that it had taken sufficient steps to investigate and prosecute the killings during President Duterte’s administration, prompting the body to reopen its investigation.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)