MANILA, Philippines — As the International Criminal Court (ICC) gets in the way, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said that the international tribunal has to pursue its investigation against former President Rodrigo Duterte.
On the sidelines of the West Philippine Sea forum organized by the Rotary Club of Manila, Carpio stated that if the ICC arrests Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity during his war on drugs campaign, it would serve as a “good example” for other leaders worldwide by demonstrating that even a country’s leader can be held accountable.
“If the leader of a country is held to account that is a good example to the rest of the leaders of the world,” Carpio told Orion Post in an ambush interview.
Citing a similar case against Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who faces allegations of war crimes related to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia following Moscow’s invasion in early 2022, Duterte is also facing allegations of crimes against humanity following his campaign against illegal drugs which led to the “unlawful” killings of thousands of alleged drug users and pushers.
In the ICC prosecutor’s June 2021 request for an investigation into the situation in the Philippines, it’s estimated that between 12,000 and 30,000 civilians were killed during the war on drugs but several advocates and human rights groups said the number could be higher.
The return of Marcos Jr. in Malacanang also raised questions if the chief executive will allow the international tribunal to enter the country and conduct an inquiry into the alleged drug war crimes committed during the previous administration. The Department of Justice affirmed that the ICC is “not welcome” in the Philippines in the thick of alleged arrival of the international tribunal representatives in the country.
But the justice department suddenly changed its tune and said that the Philippines will not obstruct the International Criminal Police Organization from serving ICC arrest warrants on individuals accused of carrying out former President Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs.
“We are not in the business of blocking any movement of the Interpol, unless a policy is laid out, which of course will go against our international commitments,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a chance interview last week.
This comes after former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s disclosure of five former and current Philippine National Police (PNP) officials who were reportedly issued ‘blue notices’ by Interpol for their alleged roles in killings during the previous administration’s war on drugs campaign.
The officials identified by Trillanes include former PNP chiefs Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, now a senator, and Oscar Albayalde; PNP Northern Luzon commander Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat; PNP Drug Enforcement Group Chief Brig. Gen. Eleazar Mata; and retired police Col. Edilberto Leonardo, who is now a commissioner with the National Police Commission (NaPolCom).
Vice President Sara Dutete has recently slammed the national government for submitting to the ICC which is set to investigate his father and other allies of the previous administration.
But according to Carpio, the ICC should push through with the investigation because “the world is watching” the developments of the case.
“It’s bad if they cannot do anything. So they have to pursue it because the world will say: Oh walang nangyayari,” Carpio said.
