DOJ exec: Release of report on review of 300 drug war killings needs Duterte’s OK

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said Thursday it will release the results of its review on 300 drug war killings during police operations if President Rodrigo Duterte will allow them to.

DOJ Undersecretary Adrian Sugay was referring to the 300 cases of drug war killings in police operations that the agency reviewed ahead of the other 52 other cases of killings which the DOJ has since reviewed and released.

"The 300 cases we first reviewed, we submitted our report directly to the Office of the President. It is up to them when they will release that [report]," Sugay said during the Laging Handa briefing.

"We leave it up to them. If we receive a directive to release it from the Office of the President, then we will release it," Sugay added.

Sugay said the release of the results of the DOJ review on the 52 cases of drug war killings during police operations was also authorized by the Office of the President.

The DOJ review showed at least 150 police officials violating rules of engagement and other standard operating procedure such as having a pre-operation report and coordinating the conduct of the anti-drug bust with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The Justice Department has since turned over its findings on the 52 cases to the National Bureau of Investigation for case buildup.

The DOJ, however, did not name the 150 erring police officials.

"We did not name them in respect to due process," Sugay said.

Based on police records, at least 7,000 suspects were killed in their anti-drug operations.

Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) pre-trial chamber  found reasonable grounds to probe the Duterte administration for alleged crimes against humanity due to systematic killing of citizens in pursuit of a state policy of anti-drug war.

Neri Colmenares of the National Union of People's Lawyers also earlier said that reviewing 52 of only 7,000 cases of drug war killings that happened in police operations is already a fatal admission on the part of the government that killing its citizens is a state policy.

President Duterte earlier said that he will prepare his defense on possible ICC indictment after he steps down from office on June 30, 2022.  — RSJ, GMA News