AMID UPCOMING ICC PROBE

Domestic remedies, justice system working in the Philippines –Eleazar

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar on Friday said that the Philippine justice system was at work on human rights abuse allegations made against the government and its war on drugs.

In a statement, Eleazar responded to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) which expressed hope that domestic remedies were functioning as they should even before the International Criminal Court investigates the issue.

“One of these remedies is the partnership of the PNP and the Department of Justice in reviewing cases involving policemen found to have committed lapses on the Police Operating Procedure in the conduct of anti-illegal drug operations,” he said.

“Our giving access to these documents to the DOJ for review is our openness to holding PNP personnel accountable for their crimes should there be a finding of criminal liability by the agency,” he added.

Eleazar pointed out that the justice system in the Philippines may not be perfect but it is working.

“We in the PNP firmly believe that the wheels of justice in the country are in motion. Several police officers have been made to answer for breaking the law and abusing their authority,” he said.

Eleazar added that the PNP immediately investigates allegations against its personnel as he underscored that the organization is not tolerating abusive and corrupt officers.

On Monday, the prosecutor of the ICC asked for authorization to open a full investigation into drug war killings in the Philippines

"I announce that the preliminary examination into the situation in the Republic of the Philippines has concluded and that I have requested judicial authorization to proceed with an investigation," prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement.

On Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte will never cooperate with any investigation that may be launched by the ICC regarding the killings blamed on his drug war.

"Hinding-hindi tayo magko-cooperate dahil hindi na tayo miyembro ng ICC," Roque said.

(We will not cooperate because we are no longer a member of the ICC.)

"Hinding-hindi magko-cooperate ang Presidente hanggang matapos ng kanyang termino sa June 30, 2022," he added.

(The President will never cooperate until his term ends on June 30, 2022.)

According to Philippine government data, from the time President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016 until the end of April this year, security forces killed 6,117 drug dealers in sting operations.

Rights groups alleged that authorities have summarily executed drug suspects, but police counterclaimed that everyone who was killed had fought back violently. — DVM, GMA News