Ex-UN rights expert Callamard says Duterte arrest hopeful sign for victims, triumph for international law

Former United Nations human rights expert on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard on Tuesday hailed the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on charges of crimes against humanity, saying it was a “hopeful sign” for victims and a “huge moment for the power of international law.”

Callamard, a fierce Duterte critic and once barred by the former Philippine leader from entering the Philippines to look into his violent drug war, also called on Manila to rejoin the Rome Statute, which created the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“At a time when too many governments renege on their ICC obligations while others attack or sanction international courts, Duterte’s arrest is a huge moment for the power of international law,” said Callamard, who now heads rights group Amnesty International as its secretary general.

“Duterte’s arrest on an ICC warrant is a hopeful sign for victims in the Philippines and beyond. It shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, can and will face justice, wherever they are in the world.”

Duterte was arrested after arriving from Hong Kong and was taken into police custody after the ICC warrant was served.

From the airport, the 79-year-old Duterte was taken to Villamor Airbase where he was examined by government doctors.

The ICC started its probe on the massive drug killings as possible crimes against humanity under Duterte from November 2011 when he was still mayor of Davao City up to March 16, 2019 – a year after Manila’s termination of its membership to the Rome Statute took effect.

“The Philippines government has taken a resolute step, and should be commended for it, but accountability must not stop here,” Callamard said. “The ICC investigation covers only some of the crimes committed over the past decade.”

Duterte, who preceded Marcos Jr., oversaw a deadly crackdown that the Philippine National Police said left more than 6,000 drug suspects dead and hundreds of thousand others arrested and resulted in the seizure of large volumes of methamphetamine or “shabu” and other prohibited drugs.

International and Philippine human rights organizations have cited much higher death tolls and the scale of the drug deaths prompted the filing by some groups of complaints before the International Criminal Court, which is investigating the widespread drug killings.

Callamard said Philippine authorities should surrender Duterte to the ICC in The Hague to face trial.

At the same time, she appealed to authorities for Duterte to be “strictly afforded all fair trial guarantees and other legal rights while detained by the authorities.”

As she asked Manila to return to the Rome Statute, Callamard said Manila must ensure that it will “cooperate fully with the ICC’s investigation, including if further arrest warrants are issued against other former and current Philippine government officials.” — BAP, GMA Integrated News