PDEA open for any drug war probe but will follow Duterte's directive

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is open for any investigation into the country's anti-drug campaign but it would still follow President Rodrigo Duterte's orders on non-participation into a International Criminal Court’s (ICC)-led probe on drug war killings, its chief said Sunday.

Retired ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had recently requested the international tribunal to launch a full investigation into the Philippines' bloody drug war. 

"Unang-una, gusto ko iparating sa lahat na ang PDEA is open sa lahat ng investigation as far as 'yung namatay during anti-drug ops na conducted ng PDEA. However, nagsalita na ang Pangulo natin. Ang sabi niya kasi 'di papayagan na magkaroon ng investigation. Talagang nakikita ko sa kanya na mayroon siyang pinaghuhugutan na rason," PDEA Director General Wilkins Villanueva said in an interview on Dobol B TV.

(I would like to notify everyone that PDEA is open to any probe as far as the deaths during anti-drug operations conducted by PDEA is concerned. But the President has already spoken that we will not allow any investigation. I am really seeing that the President has a reason for this.)

In her preliminary investigation, Bensouda said there is reasonable basis to believe that crimes against humanity were committed in the Duterte administration's anti-drug operations.

The PDEA chief questioned this claim, asking the details of the killings being investigated by Bensouda.

"Kahit sabihin na nating crimes against humanity, sabihin na natin EJK (extrajudicial killings). Ano ang detail nu'n? (Even if we say it is crimes against humanity, EJK, what are the details?)," said Villanueva.

The PDEA chief also pointed out that they have been coordinating with the Department of Justice's (DOJ) panel that is reviewing the controversial illegal drug campaign. He also said they are sharing information on their drug war records with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as requested.

"Nagpapadala rin kami ng communication sa CHR natin, Commission on Human Rights. Lahat ng records hinihingi ng CHR nagpapadala naman tayo. Ang gusto ko sabihin na open tayo. Pero sandali, huwag pinturahan ng pangit ang Pilipinas particularly sa war on drugs natin dahil we are gaining ground sa war on drugs natin," Villanueva said.

(We are communicating with CHR. We are sending them all the records they are requesting. I just want to point out that we are open for a probe but please don't paint an ugly picture of the country's drug war because we are gaining ground.)

Villanueva, meanwhile, noted that only 2.11% of more than 289,000 arrested drug dealers were killed from July 2016 to April 30, 2021.  

He also underscored that the government's anti-drug campaign cleared 21,891 villages out of 42,045 villages nationwide. This means authorities still need to free 13,400 villages from narcotics.

Just recently, two people, including a 16-year-old boy, were killed in a police operation in Laguna. Police claimed they were serving an arrest warrant against a suspect for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. —KG, GMA News