NUPL chief: It doesn’t matter who filed ICC communication first

National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) president Edre Olalia said it does not matter who first sought the intervention of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs. 

Responding to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who earlier claimed he and former Magdalo congressman Gary Alejano filed their communication ahead of leftist groups, Olalia said it is not an issue of credit but of justice for victims of human rights violations.

"For us, it does not matter who filed first and whose communication was the basis, whether exclusive, primary or otherwise. It is also not an issue of credit or stature. Neither is it which group is the most vocal, consistent, principled and unflinching in fighting for human rights of the people regardless which perpetrator is involved," he said in a statement.

"It is and will always be justice for the victims, abatement of impunity and prevention of further violations that matter. Let us not lose sight of that," he added.

On Thursday, Trillanes said it was his and Alejano's communication, together with the one earlier filed by lawyer Jude Sabio in 2017, that was the "primary basis" for the ICC prosecutor's decision to conduct an initial review of the allegations against Duterte.

He claimed that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) were "still in bed" with Duterte at the time and only started "raising issues" against the president when peace talks collapsed.

Olalia said he learned there were more than 50 communications against Duterte but that he does not know whether the CPP-NPA-NDF filed their own.

The NUPL assisted a group of families of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings in making allegations of crimes against humanity against Duterte and his senior officials before the ICC. Olalia said they submitted direct sworn testimonies and two supplemental filings.

"There is no indication that one communication to the exclusion of others was the 'primary basis' of the preliminary examination by the Office of the Prosecutor," the human rights lawyer said.

The ICC said this week that it has found "reasonable basis" to believe that crimes against humanity were committed in Duterte's anti-illegal drug campaign.

The administration has repeatedly claimed the ICC has no jurisdiction over Duterte, saying domestic mechanisms are enough.

Human rights groups have countered this and have called on international bodies including the United Nations Human Rights Council to conduct an independent investigation of the Philippines' human rights situation. — RSJ GMA News