(We yield this space to the joint statement of eight are Philippine-based human rights organizations due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
Thousands of people who have fallen victim to the “war on drugs” are now a step closer to justice should a recommendation for a full investigation into suspected crimes against humanity by International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda be accepted by the court’s judges. It is a welcome step towards holding all perpetrators accountable for their actions.
According to Bensouda, there was “reasonable basis to believe that the crime against humanity of murder” had been committed within the context of the country’s war on drugs, adding that available information has indicated that members of the police force have “unlawfully killed between several thousand and tens of thousands of civilians.”
Human rights organizations have been witnesses to the unspeakable damage brought on not only by the government’s war on drugs, but also the relentless reprisals against individuals and groups who have criticized and fought against this campaign. We call on the ICC to move towards this investigation, and to ensure that victims and civil society are a part of this process,.
Documentation by civil society groups has demonstrated systematic use of violence by police in the war on drugs campaign, a state policy enforced by the President and his government. But amidst international scrutiny, the government has denied responsibility for these killings. The UN Human Rights Council should also remedy its flawed approach on the situation in the Philippines and mandate a comprehensive, international investigation into the extrajudicial killings as well as the broad range of serious human rights violations committed in the context of the war on drugs.
The decision by the ICC Prosecutor further validates the stories of the victims – often poor and marginalized families whose suffering have been ignored by the government, and who have been deprived of justice for so long.
Domestic mechanisms for accountability remain lacking. A review by the country’s Department of Justice following a damaging report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), has been criticized for its lack of progress. The OHCHR report, released on June 4, 2020, had detailed widespread violations and impunity on the part of the Philippine National Police and other State apparatuses. Duterte has repeatedly assured police officers protection from their crimes, while inciting violence against human rights defenders and journalists who have criticized the campaign.
The ICC Prosecutor’s decision is a message to the world that mass atrocities anywhere cannot be tolerated, and that perpetrators must eventually face justice. In the Philippines, this is a welcome step towards ensuring that the grave violations and the countless victims will not be forgotten.
(Balaod Mindanaw; DAKILA – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism; Karapatan Alliance Philippines; In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement; Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights; Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates; Task Force Detainees in the Philippines; Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development)
