By John Victor D. Ordoñez and Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporters
SENATOR Ronald M. dela Rosa, ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s police chief who enforced his deadly drug war, on Wednesday said he is not worried about the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid a Senate probe of the crackdown, adding that he would not inhibit himself from the investigation.
“The fact remains that they don’t have jurisdiction over the Philippines even if 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” to recuse himself from investigation, citing the need to debunk lies and paint a truthful picture of the anti-illegal drug campaign.
The Hague-based tribunal is looking into alleged crimes against humanity committed during the drug war, where thousands of suspects died.
The government estimates that at least 6,117 people died in Mr. 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 on Monday he offers “no apologies, no excuses” for his war on drugs, as he appeared for the first time at a Senate hearing probing the crackdown.
He admitted having ordered police officers in his hometown of Davao City when he was its mayor to goad criminals to fight back during anti-illegal drug raids so cops will have a reason to retaliate, adding that he had a hit-squad tasked to eradicate crimes.
Mr. Duterte said his former police chiefs were “commanders of death squads” since they would handle controlling crime in the city, but denied ordering them to kill innocent people.
The Philippines under Mr. Duterte withdrew from the ICC in March 2018 amid criticisms that his government had systemically murdered drug suspects in police raids. It took 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 Philippine withdrawal from the tribunal.
FULL ACCOUNTABILITY
He said the international tribunal has yet to send a formal notice to the Philippine government concerning its probe of the Mr. Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel, who heads the blue ribbon subcommittee handling the probe, said the Senate would likely invite ICC officials through another committee.
“Some other committee probably, not the blue ribbon subcommittee,” he told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.
“Maybe the Justice committee or foreign relations committee.”
Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has ruled out working with the ICC, citing the country’s working justice system.
“The blue ribbon subcommittee is there to conduct hearings in aid of legislation related to any wrongdoing or abuse of power committed by a public or elected official,” Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
“If the ICC has experience in such a thing, 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 under the drug war.
In a statement, the agency said it seeks to identify accountable officers and people as more key witnesses come forward to explain the events surrounding the campaign.
“In light of recent revelations, CHR expresses deep concern over the testimony of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who confessed that he would ‘rather have suspected drug dealers killed’ than allow them due process, and admitted to encouraging law enforcement in the past to taunt suspects to justify neutralizing them,” it added.
Referring to its April 2022 report, the CHR highlighted a troubling pattern among law enforcers claiming that victims had resisted arrest to justify deadly actions.
The practice, it said, violates international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and undermines the Philippine Constitution’s guarantee of due process 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 illegal drugs,” it said, adding that it is crucial not to violate human rights and the right to due process.
“We continue to stress the importance of addressing the root causes of the illegal drug problem and implementing a holistic approach for a sustainable, long-term solution,” it added.