International rights group urges PH to rejoin ICC, submit evidence on ‘drug war’ deaths
MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 02 November) – An international network of human rights organizations has called on the Philippine government to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) and release to it all evidence gathered by the House quad committee during its investigation on the “war on drugs” of the Duterte administration.
In a statement Friday, Peter Murphy, chair of the Australian-based International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, said that given the “revelations” so far, the Marcos administration “must restore Philippine membership in the ICC and cooperate fully with international investigative bodies.”
He called on the Marcos government “to authorize full access to evidence and testimonies revealed in the House Quad Committee’s ongoing investigation.”
During the quad committee investigation, retired police colonel Royina Garma confirmed the existence of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and a reward system for the deaths of crime suspects, an allegation denied by former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Garma was a police officer assigned in Davao City and later in Cebu City until her retirement in 2019. She was appointed as general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in 2019, serving until 2022.
Murphy also said that Duterte’s testimony before the Senate “further incriminates him and his murderous regime.
During his testimony before the Senate subcommittee hearing on October 28, the former President admitted to have formed a “death squad of seven [members],” composed of “gangsters” and funded by “rich people.”
But he denied the existence of the DDS, which was allegedly composed of police personnel. He also dismissed accusations that he ordered police to kill drug suspects.
He said his “war on drugs” was meant to protect “the innocent and the defenseless,” but acknowledged that it was “not perfect” and had shortcomings.
On 17 March 2018, Duterte formally notified the UN Secretary-General that the Philippines was withdrawing from the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC. The withdrawal became effective on 16 March 2019, a year after its receipt by the UN Secretary General.
The notification followed the announcement by then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda that the ICC will conduct a preliminary examination of “drug war” deaths in February 2018. The pre-trial investigation began five years later on Sept. 15, 2021—covering crimes allegedly committed in the country between Nov. 1, 2011, the date the Rome Statute became effective in the Philippines, and March 16, 2019. This expands the scope of the investigation beyond the Duterte presidency’s “war on drugs” to also include killings during Duterte’s time as Davao City mayor.
‘That gay?’
Meanwhile, in a media interview Friday at Davao’s Wireless Catholic Cemetery, Duterte again made a snide remark against former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after the latter submitted the transcripts containing his statements, under oath, during the October 28 Senate inquiry on the previous administration’s “war on drugs” to the ICC.
Duterte repeatedly said he does not recognize the investigation of the ICC, insisting it has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.
Asked to comment on Trillanes’ move, an apparently angry Duterte sounded evasive and badmouthed instead one of the staunch critics of his administration.
“You know what, do you believe Trillanes? That gay? He did nothing but criticize. I do not even respond to him. It remains a mystery to me why a stupid person was able to enter PMA (Philippine Military Academy). He never fought in Mindanao. That crazy man did nothing, except the coup d’état. He created trouble in our country and now he acts like a hero?” Duterte said in Filipino.
He told Trillanes to just shut up as he has “done nothing to contribute or had contributed nothing to this country.”
He added that Trillanes would have been dead if he were President at the time the former Navy officer and several other military officers seized the Manila Peninsula on November 29, 2007 and called for the ouster of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Trillanes and several of his fellow officers were facing trial for the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, which they said was spontaneous and meant to air their grievances against the government, including alleged graft and corruption in the military.
Trillanes was released on December 4, 2010, after then President Benigno Aquino III granted him amnesty. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno, with a report from Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
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