‘War on drugs’ victims’ kin ‘unanimously’ support International Court investigation

MANILA — Families of the victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s "war on drugs" unanimously support an investigation by the International Criminal Court into alleged crimes against humanity committed in the country.

The ICC’s Victims Participation and Reparation Section (VPRS) has submitted to the Appeals Chamber a report on May 22 on victims’ representation on whether the investigation into the Philippines should be confirmed, amended or reversed.

Drawing from five victim representation on behalf of 350 individual victims and 165 families, the VPRS said it found that “victims unanimously support an ICC investigation into crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the context of the [“war on drugs”] in the Philippines.”

“As a result, victims request the Chamber to confirm the Article 18(2) Decision,” it said. The chamber recently denied the Philippines’ request to suspend the international court’s investigation on the drug war.

Principal counsel for the victims Paolina Massidda has earlier echoed the request of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan in asking the Appeals Chamber to dismiss the Philippine government’s plea and uphold the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision to resume investigation into the Philippines.

In the report, the VPRS illustrated how local institutions still fail to serve justice even under the new administration. “In the words of the victims, ‘justice and accountability in the Philippines remain largely elusive and victims and victims’ families face enormous difficulties in seeking accountability using available domestic legal remedies,” it said.

From police refusing to authenticate documents their offices have previously issued to stories of how authorities would make them sign a document agreeing to close the case of their loved ones because they do not know who the perpetrator was—families of those killed under Duterte’s “war on drugs” recounted their difficult experiences in trying to seek justice back home.

“If they had helped us here in the Philippines, if we had felt their care, assistance, support,