Malacañang claims drug war has public support amid victims' call for ICC probe

Malacañang on Friday maintained that its drug war campaign enjoys the full support of the Filipinos.

This was in response to an International Criminal Court (ICC) Registry report that 94% of the drug war victims want the ICC to probe the Duterte administration  for alleged crimes against humanity in the context of the drug war.

Former ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda earlier asked the international body for a formal investigation into the alleged murders.

“We consider the Public Redacted Registry Report on Victims’ Representation submitted to the ICC as more of the opinion of victims wanting the ICC probe rather than erosion of support of the Filipino people. An independent local survey shows that 88% of Filipinos backed President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.

Roque did not cite the poll but the Pulse Asia survey that showed such result dates back to 2017.

The Public Redacted Registry Report on Victims’ Representation was submitted to the ICC Trial Chamber on August 27 by the ICC Victims Participation and Reparations Section based on the manifestations of 204 victims on behalf of 1,530 individuals.

Roque also questioned the motive of the Office of the Prosecutor which initially recommended the probe on drug war.

“It is just unfortunate that the Office of the Prosecutor has been used by his ardent critics and detractors as a political tool,” he said.

Likewise, Roque maintained that the Philippines is beyond ICC jurisdiction since the Philippines already withdrew from the Rome Statute which established the ICC.

He added the ICC also has to evaluate the prospective feasibility of an investigation, “balancing the realistic expectations for cooperation by the most relevant national authorities in the collection of evidence and in the surrender of potential suspects and the concrete interests of justice, included the interest of the victims.”

”The Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute gives us no obligation to cooperate with the ICC, including the opening of its preliminary examination,” he said.

Roque instead called on the victims to seek redress before domestic courts.

The ICC Registry report quoted the victims and their representations as saying that they could not seek justice without the ICC probe, and that the "prospect of an ICC investigation has rekindled their hopes of achieving justice and surfacing the truth."—LDF, GMA News