Philippines defiant, says won't cooperate with ICC investigation (updated)

ICC Holdings

27/01/2023 04:24

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      Justice secretary says ICC cannot impose on Manila
    

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      Duterte's crackdown on drugs blamed for over 6,200 deaths 
    

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      ICC had in 2021 suspended investigation at Manila's
request 
    

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      Marcos has previously said did not intend to rejoin ICC 
    

  
 (Recasts with reaction from Philippines justice secretary)
       AMSTERDAM/MANILA, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The International
Criminal Court's decision to allow a probe into the Philippines'
drugs war to resume is an "irritant", the country's justice
secretary said on Friday, maintaining the ICC has no
jurisdiction over the country's affairs.
    Jesus Crispin Remulla said the ICC should not impose on the
Philippines, which is no longer a signatory to the international
tribunal.
    "They are insulting us," Remulla told a media briefing after
the ICC granted its prosecutor's request to reopen an
investigation into the killings during former President Rodrigo
Duterte's 'war on drugs' and other suspected rights abuses. 
    Police say they killed 6,200 dealers who resisted arrest
during anti-drug operations during Duterte's term. Many
thousands more users and peddlers were gunned down during the
crackdown, in what authorities said were vigilante killings.
Rights groups and some victims accuse the police of systematic
cover-ups and executions, which they deny.
        The ICC, which had suspended the investigation in
November 2021 at Manila's request, said in a statement it was
"not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant
investigations that would warrant a deferral of the
investigation."
    But Remulla said the timing of the ICC's move was "very
wrong" since the country is "doing what it takes to fix the
system," like improving law enforcement agencies, including the
police. 
    "I do not welcome this move of the ICC and I will not
welcome them to the Philippines until they make clear that they
will respect us in this regard," Remulla said.
    He said the country was open to dialogue with the ICC, and
would provide the court with data if asked, but "they cannot
come in here and impose themselves on us."
    Former police chief Ronaldo dela Rosa, who oversaw Duterte's
bloody crackdown, had earlier said he would cooperate with the
ICC if the government decided to participate.
    Current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and the
vice president, who is Duterte's daughter, did not comment on
the latest ICC decision. He said in August he had no intention
of rejoining the ICC after Duterte pulled out of the court in
2019, after accusing it of prejudice. 
    Human Rights Watch said the ICC investigation was the only
credible path to justice for victims and their families. 
    "As the court's judges agreed, Philippine authorities are
not 'undertaking relevant investigations' into these crimes or
'making a real or genuine effort' to carry these investigations
out," Human Rights Watch said in a statement. "The ICC offers a
path forward to fill the accountability vacuum."
    Families of many drug war victims are still seeking justice
in long, drawn-out cases. 
    In a rare conviction, a Philippine court in 2018 sentenced
three police officers to up to 40 years in jail for the murder
of a 17-year-old high school student. The teenager's death
featured in a report by a former ICC prosecutor.    
 (Reporting by Karen Lema and Enrico Dela Cruz in MANILA and
Benoit Van Overstraeten in AMSTERDAM; Editing by Hugh Lawson and
Ed Davies, Kanupriya Kapoor)
 ((benoit.vanoverstraeten@thomsonreuters.com; +33149495339;))