Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 29) — The House committees on justice and human rights on Wednesday adopted three resolutions urging the government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the drug war campaign in the country.
House Resolution (HR) No. 1477, in consolidation with HR Nos. 1393 and 1482, were adopted with no amendments in both House panels during their joint hearing, strengthening the call for the country’s cooperation with the ICC.Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and 1-Rider Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez authored HR No. 1477 on Nov. 20, Makabayan bloc filed HR No. 1393 on Oct. 17, while Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman filed HR No. 1482 on Nov. 21.During the panels’ joint hearing, Lagman made the motion on behalf of the Committee on Human Rights while Ako Bicol Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon offered a similar move on behalf of the Committee on Justice.“Mister Joint Chairs, on behalf of the Committee on Human Rights, I move to adopt House Resolution No. 1477 without amendment, in consolidation with House Resolution Nos. 1393 and 1482, and I also move for the approval of the corresponding committee report,” Lagman said.“On the part of the Committee on Justice, I move to adopt House Resolution No. 1477 without amendment, in consolidation with House Resolution Nos. 1393 and 1482, and I also move for the approval of the corresponding committee report,” Bongalon said.Lagman also requested the two committees to coordinate with Senator Risa Hontiveros, who filed a similar resolution before the upper chamber, in consolidating a concurrent resolution.Provided the Senate, through Sen. Hontiveros, would also convert their resolution into a concurrent resolution so this will be a combined expression of the sense of the Congress of the Philippines that the Executive Department must cooperate with the ICC and its prosecutors,” the lawmaker said.The decision was made following extensive deliberations over the ICC’s authority and whether or not they should be permitted to look into the drug war that former president Rodrigo Duterte waged.However, for Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, who was Duterte’s justice secretary, the decision lies in the hands of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.Yours is an expression of sentiment…but that is not something that is binding,” Guevarra said. “It all depends on the final decision of the president whether he will grant your request that we cooperate.Marcos earlier said his administration is studying whether the country should rejoin the international tribunal, but insisted that the body has “no jurisdiction” to probe the drug war killings.
An ICC prosecutor estimated that around 12,000 to 30,000 civilians were killed from July 2016 to March 2019 in connection with Duterte’s nationwide anti-drug campaign spearheaded by Dela Rosa, who was Duterte’s police chief. These figures are much higher than government data of around 6,000 deaths.
However, should ICC be allowed to reopen its probe, it would begin from Nov. 1, 2011 until March 16, 2019 — covering also the drug war crimes allegedly committed in the Davao region, when Duterte served as mayor.
