De Lima: Duterte’s days ‘coming to an end’ as full ICC probe into drug war killings sought

Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday welcomed the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s request for a full-blown investigation into the drug war killings in the Philippines, saying President Rodrigo Duterte's days are already “coming to an end.”

“I most gladly welcome the decision of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Honorable Fatou Bensouda, to proceed with the investigation of the drug war killings as a possible case of the ‘Crime Against Humanity of Murder’ under the Rome Statute,” De Lima, Duterte’s staunch critic, said in a dispatch.

The detained senator said this development means Duterte’s days “are coming to an end.”

De Lima said the only question left is whether the President’s death will “come as a boon” and save him from the trial and judgment of the ICC for the alleged crimes against humanity committed under his administration.

“He might actually be entertaining that notion now, better to die first than to suffer the humiliation of being dragged in chains to The Hague as one of the few individuals in history to be tried as hostis humani generis, an enemy of mankind,” she said.

The lawmaker further twitted Duterte, saying Filipinos should pray for the president to have a long life and good health as his death would be “unfair” to thousands of Filipinos who are victims of his orders.

“It would be an injustice for him to escape his coming trial and conviction by the grace of an early departure from this world. No, that should not happen. Let us all pray for Duterte’s long life and good health, so that he may go through the ICC trial that would follow his arrest after the start of the investigation of the Office of the Prosecutor,” she said.

“All power, no matter how absolute, is always fleeting. Only justice is permanent. Let it be done though the heavens fall,” she added.

De Lima issued a separate statement, reminding the public that no one can play with the law of humanity.

“Kahit pa ang pangalan mo ay Duterte. [Even if you are a Duterte.] So the International Criminal Court is now at your door, behind it are thousands of victims of your bloodbath,” she said.

De Lima was among the 52 groups and individuals who filed communications with the ICC against Duterte over alleged extrajudicial killings in connection with his administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

Her communication complements the allegations made against Duterte by the late lawyer Jude Sabio and former lawmakers Antonio Trillanes and Gary Alejano.

The said communication to the ICC included statements of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato and retired police officer Arturo Lascañas, claiming they killed people in Davao City upon the orders of then Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

On the other hand, Trillanes and Alejano said thousands more were killed in the war on drugs since Duterte became president in 2016.

In 2020, Sabio withdrew his earlier communication to Bensouda.

However, the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor said they cannot destroy or return information once it is in its possession.

In 2016, De Lima called for a Senate investigation into the spate of extrajudicial killings in the government’s all-out war on drugs.

She also exposed Duterte’s alleged involvement in the vigilante group known as Davao Death Squad during her term as Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in 2009.

On Tuesday, Malacañang said Duterte will never cooperate with any investigation that may be launched by ICC.

Malacañang’s statement came after Bensouda, in one of her last acts as the ICC's chief prosecutor before she steps down this week, asked it on Monday for authorization to open a full investigation into drug war killings in the Philippines, saying crimes against humanity could have been committed.

Human Rights Watch described Bensouda's decision as a "big blow" to Duterte's "presumption of impunity for these crimes."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, found Bensouda's action “deeply regrettable,” saying the Philippines has taken steps to address issues relating to the anti-narcotics war. — BM, GMA News