Diokno to ICC: continue drug war probe

By James Hernandez

Senatorial aspirant Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno has joined calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to continue its investigation over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the drug war.

“The Free Legal Assistance Group [FLAG] of the Philippines respectfully requests the Office of the Prosecutor to immediately lift the suspension of the investigation into the situation in the Philippines,” Diokno said in his letter to ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan dated Nov. 21.

Diokno is currently the chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group.

The lawyer wrote the letter after learning Khan granted the letter of Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands Eduardo Malaya who told the ICC that domestic remedies have been taken.

Malaya cited that these remedies include the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation of 52 cases of killings during police anti-illegal drugs operations.

“The DOJ ‘investigation’ adverted to in the Philippines’ deferral letter covers only a fraction of the killings or attempted killings which occurred within the scope of the ICC investigation,” Diokno said among his numerous points that he raised.

Diokno said the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I authorized “investigation into the crime against humanity murder for killings committed in the Philippines between 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019 in connection with the ‘war on drugs’ and between 1 November 2011 and 30 June 2016 in Davao.”

However, the lawyer said, among the 52 cases, only 36 occurred within 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019, and period covered by the ICC investigation,” the FLAG cited.

“This figure is but 0.12% to 0.3% of the 12,000 to 30,000 persons killed during the period,” he said.

“Not a single killing that occured between 1 November 2011 and 30 June 2016 in Davao was included among the 52 cases allegedly investigated,” he added.

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Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)