Duterte tells PDEA to submit report on illegal drugs to rights groups, ICC

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday ordered the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and other law enforcement agencies submit to human rights groups and the International Criminal Court a report on the number of tons of illegal drugs that an enter the country.

“I suggest that lahat ng pati... PDEA you are listening now. Magbigay kayo ng isang report lang. PDEA lahat ng datos, ibigay ng different law enforcement agency at ibigay sa human rights dito. 'Yung nagdadala ng ICC,” Duterte said in his Talk to the People.

(Those who criticize the government, I suggest that PDEA you are listening to now. Give a report, PDEA, of  all the data by the different law enforcement agencies and give to the human rights groups here, those who engage the ICC.)

“Ibigay tapos ibigay ninyo yung kopya ng toneladang shabu araw-araw na dumadagsa sa Pilipinas. Let them ponder on the number of Filipino, younger generation itong mga ecstasy, tawag nilang mga cocktail.. Para alam nila kung gaano kabigat, despite of our talagang double time marami pa rin,” he added.

(Give them a copy of report on the tons of shabu that enter the Philippines every day. Let them ponder on the number of Filipinos, the younger generation who use ecstasy, they call cocktails. So they would know how despite our double, there are still many using it.)

DILG report

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año reported that authorities conducted at least 1,162 anti-illegal drugs operations from March 20 to 26.

A total of 72 individuals personally surrendered, while at least 1,627 people were arrested.

Año said no fatalities were recorded during the police operations.

He added that the total confiscated drugs amounted to P453,203,447.

The ICC has temporarily suspended its investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity in connection with Duterte's war on drugs.

The prosecution made the move days after the Philippines requested the ICC to defer to its government's investigation of its nationals for killings in the context of the campaign against drugs.

Duterte earlier said he did not benefit from his war on drugs, and that it was for the future of the Filipino youth.

Malacañang also said it would be difficult for the ICC to “uncover the truth” as it insisted that the Philippine government will not cooperate in the investigation owing to the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2019. —NB, GMA News