Crimes Against Humanity In The Philippines

 

Philippines - Recently, the International Criminal Court or ICC have said that there is a reasonable basis to believe that “crimes against humanity” has been committed in the Philippines by President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration concerning the Philippines’ war on illegal drugs that started when President Rodrigo Duterte take office as the President of the Philippines.

 

“The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor said on Monday that there is “reasonable basis to believe” the Philippines has committed crimes against humanity in connection with President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs operation. Fatou Bensouda’s office, in its annual report, said those crimes included murder, torture, infliction of serious physical injury and mental harm. They took place between July 1, 2016 and March 16, 2019. The ICC prosecutor’s office has been examining the Philippines’ case since 2018, focusing in particular on allegations that Duterte and other government officials have actively promoted and encouraged the killing of suspected drug users and dealers, as well as claims that law enforcement officials and unidentified assailants have carried out thousands of unlawful killings in the Philippines. A final decision on a formal ICC investigation could come in the first half of 2021, the report said, attributing the delays to the coronavirus pandemic.”(Aljazeera)

According to human rights advocates, there are as many as 27,000 were killed on the Philippine government’s war on illegal drugs.

“….. rights advocates say as many as 27,000 people were killed as of mid-2019 – including the victims killed by “unknown gunmen”, some of whom later turned out to be police officers. Among those who were killed were more than a dozen town mayors and other local officials as well as lawyers and judges. Also killed were several minors, who were not linked to any drug activity, but whom the government thought of as “collateral damage”.”(Aljazeera)

In response to the investigation of ICC, the Philippines or President Duterte administration has officially withdrawn the country of being a member of the ICC on March 17,2019 and President Duterte warned that he will arrest the ICC official once it steps in the Philippines and conduct an investigation.

However, President Duterte’s own statements : (1) ‘I will kill more if only to get rid of drugs’, and (2) “Don’t be president, if you can’t kill” ….[his job is] “to scare people, to intimidate people, and to kill people.”;  does it prove he and his administration is guilty of the accusation of committing “crimes against humanity”?

“On several occasions, Duterte has publicly told police officers to ‘shoot and kill’ drug suspects, adding ‘I will kill more if only to get rid of drugs’”(Aljazeera)

“The president himself has repeatedly promised that his “drug war” will last until the final day of his presidency. As recent as early March, he was quoted on separate occasions saying, “Don’t be president, if you can’t kill” and that it was his job “to scare people, to intimidate people, and to kill people.””(Aljazeera)

The main point : The International Criminal Court or ICC said there is a reasonable basis to believe that “crimes against humanity” has been committed in the Philippines on President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration concerning the war on illegal drugs.

image from Aljazeera website