The International Criminal Court (ICC) has authorized its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, to reopen the investigation into the probe into the actions of Philippine security forces in the «war on drugs» of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte — who has already assured that he does not intend to cooperate with the court in this case — which has claimed up to 12,000 lives.
The court, which is based in The Hague, has reported that one of its chambers has granted the request of the ICC Prosecutor’s Office to resume the investigations because it was «not satisfied» with the measures adopted by the Philippine government.
«Several domestic initiatives and procedures, collectively assessed, do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a manner that sufficiently reflects the Tribunal’s investigation,» reads a statement from the judicial body.
The ICC investigation is based on a complaint filed in 2018 by non-government organizations and relatives of victims of the «war on drugs.» However, Duterte argues that the ICC has no jurisdiction to try these crimes and withdrew the country from the Rome Treaty upholding the court on March 17, 2019. The court, in response, assures that it does have the power to investigate possible crimes committed by signatory states during the time they adhered to the treaty.
The Philippine government admits more than 6,000 deaths in its controversial raids, although human rights organizations agree that the real figure could be up to four or five times higher.
The investigation was suspended in November 2021 at the request of the Philippines, which announced that it would investigate the cases before the Tribunal.
DUTERTE RESPONDS THAT HE WILL NOT LET «FOREIGNERS» TRY HIM.
The former Philippine president has replied, through his former spokesman, Harry Roque, that he has no intention of cooperating with the investigation. «The former president reiterates that he will never allow foreigners to try him as long as Philippine courts are willing and able to do so,» Roque said in comments reported by the Philippine news portal Rappler.
The former spokesman reiterated Duterte’s willingness to appear before domestic courts but «he will never submit himself to the jurisdiction of a foreign organization because it would be an insult to the competence, fairness and proper functioning of the Philippine criminal justice system.»
«I support the firm stand of former President Duterte. Our domestic courts are willing and able to conduct fair proceedings in cases related to the drug war campaign,» he added.
The former spokesperson has also considered the resumption of the ICC investigation as nothing but a waste of resources and has recommended the court to focus on the situation in other countries «like Ukraine.»
The country’s current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had already advanced that he does not contemplate a possible reinstatement of the ICC for the same reasons that Duterte wields. «That court is only supposed to act when a country ceases to have a functioning judiciary,» he explained in September last year. «That doesn’t happen in the Philippines, so I don’t see what role this court should play here,» he added.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
