The International Criminal Court (ICC) has acknowledged receipt of a video showing former President Rodrigo Duterte admitting funding a death squad, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV announced.
“Na-acknowledge na po ng ICC ang pagtanggap ng video. Pakiramdam ko malapit nang makamit ang hustisya,” Trillanes said on his social media accounts Tuesday, October 17. (The ICC has acknowledged receiving the video. I feel justice is near.)
Trillanes said his group Magdalo has submitted to the ICC a video showing Duterte publicly admitting that he used confidential and intelligence funds to conduct extra-judicial killings (EJKs) on his constituents in Davao City when he was still a mayor.
In a 18-second clip of an interview Duterte gave to controversial cult leader Apollo Quiboloy over the SMNI channel last week, Duterte said, “Ang intelligence fund, binili ko, pinapatay ko lahat. Kaya ganoon ang Davao. Iyong mga kasama ninyo, pinatigok ko talaga. Iyon ang totoo.” (The intelligence fund, I bought (used) it, I had them all killed. That is why Davao is like that. Your colleagues, I really had them murdered. That is the truth.)
With his latest admission, Trillanes said the charges against Duterte “…is truly an open-and-shut case.”
In the video, Duterte was referring to his so-called Davao Death Squad when he was city mayor in 1988 to 1998, 2001 to 2010, and from 2013 to 2016.
Duterte ordered a similar nationwide killing spree through the Philippine National Police when he became president in 2016 that reportedly resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
Various mass murder and crimes against humanity complaints by Trillanes’ Magdalo, the group of families of victims of Duterte’s drug war Rise Up for Life and For Rights and lawyer Jude Sabio have been filed before the ICC since 2017.
The ICC said its investigation cover EJKs committed by Duterte and his cohorts from November 2011 to March 16, 2019, a day before the Philippine government withdrew from ICC’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute.
The ICC has rejected various appeals submitted by the Philippine government to discard the complaints and is expected to issue a warrant of arrest against Duterte and fellow respondents such as former police chief and now Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
Trillanes called on the government of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to finally allow ICC investigators into the country, “…in order to make ex-president Rodrigo Duterte accountable for his crimes against humanity.” (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/4.jpg12001800Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2023-10-17 15:13:272023-10-17 15:13:28Trillanes: ICC receives Duterte video admitting to mass murder
Groups welcome decision; urges Marcos to let investigations continue
Local groups welcomed the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to reject the Philippine government’s appeal to stop its investigations into thousands of cases of extrajudicial killings in Davao City and under the previous Rodrigo Duterte government.
In announcement Tuesday, July 18, the international tribunal said the Philippine government failed to show any error in the pre-trial chamber’s decision to authorize the investigation.
The Hague-based ICC also found that the Philippine government had not met its burden of proof to show its investigation would be “unnecessary or disproportionate.”
Human rights group Karapatan said it is high time the ICC investigation proceeds without a hitch to give justice to the victims of Duterte’s anti-drug war.
“There is urgent need for international mechanisms such as the ICC to come in because all domestic investigation mechanisms presented by the Duterte and the current Marcos regime in response to calls for justice and accountability are ineffective and only meant to window-dress the current dire human rights situation,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.
Karapatan lauded the families of the families of victims and their lawyers for their “courage, perseverance and tenacity” in having the investigations continue.
“Let this welcome development further inspire the Filipinos’ struggle for justice and accountability. We remain steadfast in the call to hold Duterte and those responsible for the bloody drug war and other human rights violations held fully accountable,” Palabay said after learning of the ICC decision.
The Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) said the ICC decision is a significant victory for Duterte’s drug war victims and for the ICC’s efforts to hold perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable.
“It also sends a strong message to governments around the world that they cannot violate international law with impunity,” it added.
The International Criminal Court announces its judgement on the continuation of the investigation into extrajudicial killings in the Philippines as July 18 in Brussels, Belgium. (ICC photo)
Escaping accountability
Upon submissions of complaints to the ICC on the Duterte government’s drug war killings starting 2017, the Philippine government in March 2018 withdrew its participation in the tribunal in an attempt to save the former president and cohorts from trial.
Previously, both Duterte and top police generals publicly bragged about the killing of thousands of suspected illegal drug personalities.
With a Duterte as vice president and their respective dynasties as allies, the current Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration upheld the move to reject ICC’s investigations.
The Marcos government also echoed the Duterte government’s line the ICC investigations violate Philippine sovereignty since the country is no longer a part of the tribunal.
Rights groups however pointed out that the complaints were received when the Philippines was still a signatory to the Rome Statute that created the tribunal.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) president Renato Reyes Jr. yesterday urged the government to stop invoking sovereignty just to escape accountability for the killings, even for just the 6,000 victims it acknowledged from 2016 to 2018.
“It seems that when it comes to the question of human rights accountability, the current regime does not try to hide how very much the same it is to the previous regime. No rebranding and no pretensions there of any sort. Just a firm commitment to the same brand of impunity that became a hallmark the past regime,” Reyes said.
‘Killings continue’
Members of Rise Up for Life and for Rights, an organization of families of victims of the killings, gathered at the Boys Scourts Monument in Quezon City Tuesday to await ICC’s announcement of its decision.
Amy Jane Lee of Rise Up said: “We will continue to speak up, find justice and struggle. Duterte is no longer president but the killings continue.”
“The truth is, ICC’s decision does not even erase the pain. Only time, humility of the aggressors and their accountability would heal our wounds,” Lee added.
Their lawyers however cautioned the families that the ICC decision only ruled on the government’s petition to defer the investigations but refused to rule on the challenge of jurisdiction and admissibility.
“The victims intend to communicate with the Office of the Prosecutor, as well as the Office of the Public Counsel for Victims, and have sought to be represented by an independent legal representative as well,” members of the National Union of Peoples’ lawyers said.
‘Not worried’
In a radio interview, Senator Ronald de la Rosa said he is not worried about the ICC investigation saying he will just take extra precautions when travelling abroad.
Among those named as perpetrators of the drug war killings, de la Rosa said his current travel plans are between Manila and Davao anyway.
De La Rosa was director general of the Philippine National Police when the killings were launched in 2016.
Former president Duterte has yet to issue a statement about the ICC decision. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/duterte.jpg11232048Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2023-07-19 07:39:492023-07-19 09:25:41Gov’t loses bid to stop probe of Duterte’s drug war
‘ICC investigations on Duterte’s responsibility must continue’
Activist groups welcomed the conviction of the Caloocan City policemen for the killing of two teenagers in 2017, but said there is no reason to rejoice yet as thousands of other victims are still denied justice.
Bayan Muna said that while it is glad that the families of Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman received initial justice, the conviction of former Police Officer Jefrey Sumbo Perez for “intentionally killing” the victims is proof that genuine investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the drug war killings is necessary,
“This conviction does not in any way detract us from our assertion that the justice system in the Philippines is inhospitable to human rights prosecution. Thousands of families continue to wait for justice years after their loved ones were brutally executed in ex-president (Rodrigo) Duterte’s drug war,” former Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said.
Colmenares said that only a few low-ranking police officers like Perez are being prosecuted while high officials like Duterte remain unscathed.
Brutal death
In a 80-page decision, Judge Romana Lindayag del Rosario of the Navotas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 287 ordered Perez to suffer 40 years in prison without eligibility for parole.
The former policemen was also ordered to pay each of the victims’ kin P100,000 for civil indemnities, P200,000 for moral and exemplary damages, and P45,000 for actual damages.
Perez’s co-accused in the double murder trial, former police officer Ricky Arquilita, died in detention in April 2019.
Testimonies presented in court said Perez shot Arnaiz five times while the 19-year old was on his knees begging for his life while 14-year old de Guzman was stabbed 28 times.
Arnaiz was later found by relatives in a Caloocan City funeral home while de Guzman was found in a creek in faraway Gapan, Nueve Ecija.
ICC investigations must continue
In a statement, Bagong Alyansan Makabayan (BAYAN) said there is not much rejoicing in Perez’s conviction.
“The very long period it took to convict the dismissed police officer—which is just among a handful convictions in the last six years—shows what is wrong in the Philippine justice system and why the ICC probe should continue,” BAYAN secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said.
Human rights group Karapatan also welcomed the conviction but said it is lamentable and infuriating that it took a long time and that no higher-ups are made accountable.
“The drug war and its consequences are not mere acts of one or two police personnel – there are government policies behind it and there are those who ordered, incited and encouraged these killings and human rights violations. For the thousands of victims in Duterte’s drug war, this recent conviction remains a drop in the bucket,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.
Colmenares, co-counsel for the victims in the ICC complaint against Duterte and other high-ranking government officials, said there should be vigilance in the Arnaiz and de Guzman cases as Perez is sure to appeal the case.
“We will continue to pursue the crimes against humanity case against Duterte and his subordinates in the ICC,” added the former Bayan Muna solon.
Colmenares said they will continue to oppose the demand of the Marcos-Duterte government for the ICC to stop its investigation.
“Kung matigil ang imbestigasyon sa ICC lalong mahihirapan makakuha ng hustisya ang EJK (extrajudicial killings) victims. Dapat mag partisipa ang pamilya ng mga EJK victims sa ICC para marinig din ang panig nila lalo nat kaanak nila ang pinatay sa drug war ng ex-president,” Colmenares said.
(If the investigations are stopped at the ICC, it will be more difficult to achieve justice for the EJK victims. The families of the EJK victims must participate to be heard as their loved ones were killed during the former president’s drug war.) # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/gavel.jpg6261000Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2023-03-16 15:08:132023-03-16 15:08:15Groups welcome conviction of policeman in teeners’ killing
The government fumed, but human rights advocates applauded the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) announcement to resume its investigations the bloody war on drugs in the Philippines.
Human rights group Karapatan said the ICC announcement is welcome news, adding it hopes it would result in the conviction of former President Rodrigo Duterte it says is accountable for the deaths of thousands.
“With the help of international mechanisms provided by bodies like the ICC, we can make a dent on the culture of impunity that has stymied the quest for justice for so long,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.
“This should also serve as a warning to the current regime for essentially continuing Duterte’s policies on the drug war,” Palabay added.
Palabay also said the ICC decision should strongly spur an independent investigation by the United Nations Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in the Philippines.
In a separate statement, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said the ICC is correct in its observation that there has been no thorough investigation conducted on complaints of extrajudicial killings in the government’s anti-drug war.
“The ICC correctly observed that the various domestic initiatives and proceedings, assessed collectively, do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a way that would sufficiently mirror the Court’s investigation,” Reyes said.
“This observation is consistent with the views echoed during the United Nations Universal Periodic Review where UN member-states pressed the Philippines for accountability of police personnel involved in the drug war killings,” he added.
Done waiting
In an announcement in The Netherlands last Thursday, January 26, the ICC said its pre-trial chamber has decided to resume the investigation into killings under the Duterte administration.
The development ended its 14 months suspension of the probe that gave the Philippine government a chance to prove its prosecution of police personnel accused of killing suspected drug personalities.
Prosecutor Karim Khan said the ICC was not satisfied with the Philippine government’s efforts, thus the international chamber’s approval to finally move the process of investigations.
“Following a careful analysis of the materials provided by the Philippines, the Chamber is not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the Court’s investigations on the basis of the complementarity principle,” the ICC said in its report.
“Moreover, the number of cases reviewed by the DOJ Panel (302 as of last count) is very low when compared with the estimated number of killings that allegedly occurred in the context of ‘war on drugs’ operations,” the ICC added.
Insult?
Justice secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla maintained a combative posture in his reply to the announcement, saying the chamber’s decision is an “insult” to the Philippines, which is no longer a member of the ICC.
After repeatedly daring the international community to indict him on his bloody record on the government’s war on drugs, Duterte made an about face in March 2018 and ordered the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute of 1998 creating the ICC.
“[W]hen they come in here trying to assert jurisdiction in a country that is not even a member of the ICC, it really begs the question, it behooves us to think what good they think they are in a country that is sovereign and free,” Remulla fumed in a press briefing last Friday.
Remulla added that the Philippines is unlike other failed states that have no functioning judiciary and strong military where the ICC are expected to be.
In earlier public pronouncements, including repeated appearances at the UN in Geneva late last year, Remulla said the Marcos government sees no urgency in rejoining the ICC.
‘Stop stonewalling’
Bayan’s Reyes however urged the Marcos government to quit its resistance to the ICC probe.
“[It] should show full cooperation so that justice can be rendered to the thousands of victims of Duterte’s failed drug war,” Reyes said.
Reyes pointed out that there have been admissions that many top police officials are actually involved in the illegal drug trade makes the drug war a sham.
“Street-level pushers were executed while police officials recycled and re-sold the illegal drugs,” Reyes said.
“It is time for the Philippines to cooperate with the ICC and stop its stonewalling tactics. Mr. Marcos cannot wash of this bloody stain on the Philippines rights record no matter how frequent his foreign trips may be. Only true justice can put a decisive close to this horrific chapter in our history,” he added. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/icc2.jpg499750Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2023-01-28 08:00:142023-01-28 08:00:16Gov’t fumes, but rights groups applaud ICC probe continuation on drug war killings
Human rights lawyers requested the International Criminal Court (ICC) to continue with the conduct of a full-blown investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged drug war atrocities.
Even as the Hague-based international tribunal has agreed to defer its investigation, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers said the Philippine government’s request is merely a “belated action” to whitewash the mass killings.
“These domestic ‘remedies’ described by the Philippine ambassador (to The Netherlands) in his letter have proven utterly ineffective in stopping wave after wave of drug-related killings, the imprisonment of thousands of poor Filipinos on questionable charges, and the commission of countless human rights violations during the anti-drug campaign,” the group said.
In his letter to the ICC, Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya asked the ICC to defer to Philippine domestic remedies when it comes to the investigation into crimes against humanity in connection with the drug war.
President Duterte and several other government officials are charged before the ICC of the murder of thousands of suspected drug dependents.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan reported on November 18 that his office temporarily suspended its investigative activities while it assesses the scope and effect of the Philippine government’s deferral request.
Khan however said his office will continue its analysis of information it already has, any new information it may receive from third parties, as well as “actively assess the need for applications to the Pre-Trial Chamber for authority to conduct necessary investigative steps for the preservation of evidence.”
Saving Duterte
In opposing the Philippine government’s petition, the NUPL said the Duterte administration has failed to hold perpetrators accountable for at least six thousand of drug-related killings.
“[T]he Duterte administration is now suddenly waving the DOJ (Department of Justice) investigation into some low-ranking police personnel for a handful of killings – 52 out of tens of thousands – as an indicator that domestic mechanisms are working. We know better,” the NUPL said.
Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra announced on October a formal agreement is being drafted between the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for an investigation into cases of irregularities in anti-drug operations.
But the NUPL said the 52 cases the PNP itself identified “conspicuously excludes the possibility of investigating President Duterte and other high-ranking officials who are most responsible” for the killings.
The group agreed with the ICC prosecutor and the tribunal’s pre-trial chamber’s previous assessment that the crimes were the result of an established state policy.
Duterte himself has repeatedly said he takes responsibility for the killings.
The NUPL said the ICC investigations have given the families of the victims a faint glimmer of hope, which would be dashed if the international tribunal takes on the side of the Philippine government.
“We ask the ICC not to allow itself to be swayed by the claims now being made the Duterte administration,” the NUPL said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/icc2.jpg499750Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2021-11-20 13:37:432021-11-20 13:37:44Rights lawyers ask ICC to continue investigating Duterte’s drug war murders
GENEVA, Switzerland—Filipinos in Europe held a rally at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in this city to press for an international investigation into harassments against human rights defenders and critics of the Rodrigo Duterte government in the Philippines.
Geneva Forum as well as Europe-based chapters of Migrante, Anakbayan and Gabriela gathered at the city center last Wednesday, October 6, as the 48th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) was ongoing.
The groups said they also support the investigation by the International Criminal Court on the state of human rights in the Philippines.
“Activists have been killed over the last year, both by the security forces and by unknown individuals. In many instances, activists were killed after being red-tagged. In virtually none of the cases has anyone been held accountable for the killings,” the groups in a statement said.
The organizations urged the UNHRC to establish mechanisms that would address rights violations in the Philippines.
“We appeal to International organizations and community to help us put an immediate stop to the criminalization and attacks against activists, lawyers and journalists, which has continued over the year, with impunity, despite the fact that the UNHRC has adopted the resolution extending technical assistance and capacity-building to the Philippine government,” the protesters said.
In his speech, Fr. Angel Cortez of Franciscan International noted that the proposed investigation by the UNHRC on the state of human rights in the Philippines has yet to fully proceed.
“As a Filipino, I want to raise a voice and bring the voice of our people on the present situation in Duterte’s administration that until now there’s no independent investigation mandated by the UNHRC and the killings is go on amid the [coronavirus] pandemic.”
President Duterte said UNHRC and ICC investigations are unwanted interventions into internal matters and have threatened to slap and arrest international investigators who dare come into the Philippines.
During the rally, the protesters also expressed support to international rights institutions such as CIVICUS Monitor and Investigate PH that demanded accountability for the perpetrators of rights violations in the Philippines.
In a recent country research brief, CIVICUS Monitor said that “serious civic freedoms violations continue to occur, creating a chilling effect within civil society” a year after the UNHRCs adoption of a resolution that pointed out extrajudicial killings and political repression in the Philippines.
CIVICUS Monitor said the resolution is “profoundly weak” if it does not investigate violations in the Philippines as recommended by UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in 2020. #
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/1-1.jpg442960Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2021-10-07 11:09:332021-10-07 11:12:09Pinoys in Europe urge UN to press investigations into Duterte’s human rights violations
The 52 drug war cases investigated by the Department of Justice only comprise .9% of the 5,655 cases of drug-related killings it admitted before the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2020.
There is no effective domestic mechanism to deliver justice and accountability for human rights violations in the Philippines, making investigations by the international community necessary and urgent, rights alliance Karapatan said.
Despite repeated promises of cooperation made by Philippine government officials to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said the country’s domestic mechanisms remain ineffective and inadequate in delivering justice.
Palabay said that both the government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Administrative Order No. 35 (AO 35) and the inter-agency panel on the drug war have yet to show any significant progress in holding the perpetrators of human rights violations accountable.
Palabay called on the UNHRC to press on with its plan to conduct investigations on the state of human rights in the Philippines to coincide with the International Criminal Court’s own investigations on the thousands of deaths resulting from President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs campaign.
Slow pace of investigations
From the creation of the AO 35 task force in 2012 up to December 2019, the group has handled only 385 cases, including cases that date all the way back to 2001 under the term of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Palabay revealed.
Citing government’s own reports, Palabay further revealed there were only 13 convictions while 127, or 33% of the cases, were dismissed and the perpetrators were either cleared or acquitted by the courts.
She also noted the slow progress of majority of the investigations and prosecution, with 111 cases archived while 89 are still under investigation.
Recent cases added to the list include the brutal killings of National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Randall Echanis, Karapatan human rights worker Zara Alvarez, the massacre of nine Tumandok tribes people in Panay Island, and the killings in the Bloody Sunday raids in Southern Tagalog region—all perpetrated during the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns.
“[T]he task force fails to uphold its mandate when the same violations continue with even more brazenness, especially under this murderous regime which issues clear directives for State forces to kill, kill, and kill,” Palabay pointed out.
UNHRC promise going nowhere
Palabay also scored the apparent failure of the Duterte government to deliver on its promise to the UNHRC’s 44th General Assembly in July 2020 of “public transparency and full accountability” on drug-related killings.
On August 16, 2021, justice secretary Guevarra, in behalf of the Duterte administration, announced it has reviewed 52 drug war cases forwarded by the Philippine National Police to his office.
“[But] no report has been made public by the DOJ (Department of Justice). The 52 drug war cases comprise only .9% of the 5,655 deaths cited by Guevarra in his June 2020 statement before the HRC,” Palabay complained.
“These cases are a mere drop in the bucket of reported drug war killings, and yet a year since the drug war panel has been in place, the public has not seen any report and has not heard of any substantial effort to hold the perpetrators accountable,” Palabay said.
Palabay further questioned the DOJ’s ability to inspire confidence among victims and their families to cooperate with its investigation, more so that its task force includes those who are accused of being violations perpetrators themselves.
“It raises the issue of the task force’s credibility and independence, and therefore, its effectiveness in fulfilling its mandate,” Palabay said.
‘Good luck’
President Duterte and his spokespersons however rejected calls for investigations by the international community on the human rights situation in the country.
Duterte himself threatened to either block, arrest or slap experts brave enough to come to the Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Herminio L. Roque Jr. is no less derisive of the planned investigations, declaring the Duterte government will not cooperate with the ICC.
“For its own good, they should drop the case rather than prove to the world that the local courts are inutile… Good luck on obtaining the cooperation of the Philippine state,” Roque said.
Presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo also said investigations from abroad are blatant interference in Philippine domestic affairs.
Life-saving
Palabay however pressed for both ICC and UNHRC investigations to proceed to stop the Duterte administration from its unending killing spree.
“We call on the UN Human Rights Council and the international community to press for an independent international investigation, in line with the recommendation of (UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Michelle) Bachelet that in the absence of clear and measurable outcomes from domestic mechanisms, options for international accountability measures should be considered,” Palabay insisted.
“The international independent investigation by the UN Human Rights Council is an important and life-saving step and approach to address the worsening human rights situation in the Philippines,” Palabay said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/mb.jpg478900Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2021-09-20 08:07:022021-09-20 08:08:04Int’l community urged to press investigations on PH rights violations
Neri Colmenares, a lawyer for the families of the victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK) in the Philippines, hailed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to initiate investigations on President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
In his reaction to the ICC’s decision Wednesday night, Colmenares said justice may be near for the victims, estimated to be between 8,000 and 30,000.
“This ICC decision to investigate the EJKs in the Philippines is a major step to justice! The families of thousands of EJK victims have long asked for the accountability of the killers. Malapit na po!” Colmenares said.
The former Bayan Muna Representative serves as lawyer for the group Rise Up for Life and for Rights that was among those who filed complaints with the ICC in 2018.
In earlier interviews, Colmenares said at least seven families have identified police officers involved in the killing of suspected anti-drug operations and have resolved to press charges before the international tribunal despite threats and intimidation.
The ICC’s pre-trial chamber decision.
In a September 15 decision issued from its The Hague, The Netherlands headquarters, an ICC pre-trial chamber authorized the commencement of an investigation of the alleged crimes between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019 in the context of Duterte’s so-called war on drugs campaign.
The period also covers the time when Duterte was still Davao City mayor.
Prior to her retirement in June this year, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda requested for judicial authorization to proceed with investigation regarding the country’s situation in relation to Duterte’s drug war.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr., fierce critic of Duterte’s drug war, also hailed the ICC decision.
“This is a historic moment for the Philippines and a crucial step towards justice and accountability,” Reyes said.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) likewise welcomed the ICC decision that came as the country’s biggest group of human rights lawyers observes its 14th founding anniversary today, September 16.
It was the NUPL that first expressed alarm over the rise of extrajudicial killings mere days into the Duterte presidency.
“It was July 4, 2016 when we first publicly called out against the madness of the extrajudicial killings in the bloody drug campaign against the poor. Now the ICC has opened the doors for a new beginning. It has been a long and tortuous journey so far,” the NUPL said.
The group’s jubilation however is marred by the killing of yet another member and officer in Mindanao, reportedly the 75th lawyer to be killed under the Duterte administration.
Human rights lawyer Atty. Juan Macababbad was shot dead by two assassins on board a motorcycle in Surallah, South Cotabato at 5:30 pm Wednesday.
Davao Today reported the victim was about to close the gates of his home in Zone 2, Brgy. Libertad when the assailants fired seven shots that killed the lawyer.
Macabbbad was vice-president of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao and NUPL founding member.
Duterte said he does not acknowledge the ICC’s authority to prosecute him, more so after the ordered the country’s withdrawal of its ratification of the Rome Statute the established the tribunal in March 2019.
The ICC however said that the Philippines was still a signatory to the treaty when a complaint against Duterte and his police officers was filed in 2018. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/icc2.jpg499750Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2021-09-16 09:11:402021-09-16 14:06:40Lawyers, activists hail ICC decision to investigate Duterte’s war on drugs
Panayam ng Kodao Productions, sa pamamagitan ni Prof. Sarah Raymundo, kay Prof. Jose Maria Sison hinggil sa mga isyu ukol kay Pangulong Duterte, International Criminal Court (ICC), National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), State of the Nation Address (SONA), at Eleksyong 2022.
ITANONG MO KAY PROF
Duterte, ICC, NTF-ELCAC, SONA at Eleksyong 2022
July 12, 2021
Prof Sarah: Isang maganda at mapagpalayang araw sa lahat ng ating tagapakinig. Nagbabalik ang Itanong Mo Kay Prof!
Usap-usapan ang pagtakbo muli ni Duterte sa pusisyong Vice-President sa halalan 2022. Si Sara Duterte naman ang Presidente sa tambalang ito. Simula nang sumingaw ang ganitong usapan, napakaraming mamamayan ang nagugulat, nababahala, nagagalit, at marami-rami na rin ang mga kritiko mula sa oposisyon, kilusang progresibo, samahan ng mga abogado, periodista, educador, taong-simbahan at kabataan ang nagpahayag ng kritikal na suri rito.
Sabi nga ng mga kritiko, kapit-tuko si Duterte sa kapangyarihang ginamit lang naman niya para sa korapsyon, karahasan at sukdulang pagpapahamak sa ekonomiya at mamamayan sa gitna ng pandemya.
Makakasama natin muli si Professor Jose Maria Sison, Chairperson Emeritus ng ILPS at Chief Political Consultant ng NDF upang mapagusapan at masuri ang usaping ito at iba pang kaugnay na usapin katulad ng imbestigasyon ng International Criminal Court kay Duterte, ang Peace Talks at CASER, at ilan sa mga sikat na personahe na tatakbo bilang presidente sa 2022. Maalab na pagbati, Prof. Sison!
Prof Sison: Maalab na makabayan pagbati sa iyo Prof. Sarah Raymundo at sa lahat ng ating tagapakinig.
Mga Tanong
Prof Sison, ano po ang masasabi ninyo sa pagtakbo raw ni Pangulong Duterte sa 2022 eleksyon bilang vice president? At may nauulinigan din na tatakbong presidente naman si Sara Duterte. Ano ang inyong opinion sa bagay na ito?
JMS: Garapal na kasakiman ng iisang pamilya na kandidatong presidente at bise president sina Sara Duterte at Rodrigo Duterte. Nais nilang magpanatili ng dinastiya. Dating pamantayan na sa isang partido ang nagtatambal na kandidato para sa tungkuling presidente at bise presidente ay galing sa magkaibang rehiyon. Ang dalawang sakim na Duterte ay galing sa iisang pamilya. Pambihira talaga. Naiilang pati ang mga alyado nila. Sabi nila political incest.
Hindi pa klaro kung sino sino nga ba ang tatakbong presidente sa 2022. Pero may nakapagsabi na tatakbo daw si Senator Manny Paquiao at Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. Ano ang inyong masasabi hinggil dito, Prof Sison? Sa tingin niyo ba may pag-asa ang mamamayan sa dalawang ito?
JMS: Malalakas ang dalawang posibleng kandidato na binanggit mo, sina Manila Mayor Isko Moreno at Senator Manny Pacquiao. Malayong matitinong lider ang dalawang ito kaysa sa mga Duterte. Maasahan sila ng mga mamamayan. Mas malaki rin ang following nila kung ihambing sa following ng mga Duterte. Imbento lamang ng mga bayarang poll survey firm at troll army ang umano’y mataas na popularity rating ng mga Duterte.
Dahil sa napakaraming krimen na gawa ni Duterte laban sa sambayanang Pilipino, kaunti na lang ang sumusunod kay Digong Duterte. Itinuturing siyang traidor at bentador ng West Philipine Sea sa Tsina, berdugo at mamatay-tao, mandarambong at manggagantso. Pero kontrolado niya ang Comelec at bilangan ng boto sa halalan ng 2022.
Ang International Criminal Court (ICC) ay handa ng mag-imbestiga sa Pilipinas hinggil sa mga kinakaharap na kaso ng paglabag sa karapatang tao ni Duterte sa mamamayan. Inisnab ito ni Duterte. Sinasabing hindi naman na tayo kasapi ng ICC kaya walang dapat harapin sa kanila. Ano ang inyong paliwanag sa bagay na ito Prof Sison?
JMS: Maliwanag sa Tratado ng Roma na nagbuo ng International Criminal Court na saklaw pa rin nito ang mga krimeng gawa ni Duterte habang myembro pa ang Pilipinas sa tratado kahit na umalis pa ang Pilipinas sa tratado. Isa pa, kahit na maging presidente ang anak niya at siya ay maging bise presidente at haharangin nila ang warrant of arrest, puedeng lagyan na ng ICC ng emcumbrance ang mga bank account at investments ni Duterte sa abroad para managot sa mga damage claims ng mga biktima.
Kung maging presidente at bise ang dalawang Duterte sa pamamagitan ng pandaraya tulad ng ginawa sa midterm elections noong 2019, tiyak na magkakagulo sa Pilipinas at mapapatalsik sila mula sa kapangyarihan tulad ni Marcos noong 1986. Kung mapipigil nila ang posibilidad na ito, lulubha ang krisis sa ekonomiya at pulitika ng naghaharing sistema at lalagablab ang armadong rebolusyon ng sambayanang Pilipino hanggang maibagsak ang mga Duterte. Puede pang habulin si Duterte ng people’s court ng kilusang rebolusyonaryo kung mailagan nya ang ICC at justice system ng reaksyonaryong gobyerno.
Ang National Task Force – End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) ang nagpapatupad ng Executive Order 70. Grabe ang ginagawa nilang red tagging sa mga indibidwal at organisasyon. Kayo Prof Sison ay kasama rin sa nilalagyan ng sungay ng mga ito at ikinakalat inyong larawan hindi lamang sa Kamaynilaan kundi maging sa mga probinsya. Ano po ang inyong masasabi sa kanila?
JMS: Mga militarista at pasista, mga mamatay tao at mga magnanakaw ang nasa National Task Force-ELCAC. Sila ang mga tunay na terorista. Nagrered-tagging sila sa mga indibidwal at organisasyon na pumupuna at sumasalungat sa mga krimen ng rehimeng Duterte. Pagkatapos pinapatay at inaagawan ng ari-arian ang mga biktima ng red-tagging.
Antemano bilyun-bilyung piso ang pondo ng task force. Pinagnanakawan ito ni Duterte at mga heneral niya sa ngalan ng surveillance, intelligence, psywar, arrest, combat operations at pakunwaring community development. Walang auditing. Yong red-tagging at murder operations ng task force ay para takutin ang masa, kontrolin ang takbo at resulta ng halalang 2022 at mangurakot ng pondo ng bayan.
Marami po ang nananawagan na buwagin ang NTF-ELCAC at ibaling na lamang ang bilyon bilyong pondo nito sa ayuda sa mamamayan. Sa kasalukuyan Prof Sison ay lugmok pa rin sa kahirapan ang marami nating kababayan. Marami ang walang trabaho, nawalan ng trabaho, nabawasan ang kita at nabaon sa utang. Ano ang inyong paliwanag sa bagay na ito, Prof Sison?
JMS: Dapat buwagin ang NTF-ELCAC at ibaling ang bilyun-bilyong pondo nito sa ayuda sa mamamayan. Makatarungan na gamitin ang pondong ito para makaahon ang marami nating kababayan mula sa kahirapan na bunga ng krisis sa ekonomiya at pandemya.
Lantad ang katotohanan na marami ang walang trabaho, nawalan ng trabaho, nabawasan ang kita, nabaon sa utang at hindi makaagapay sa implasyon o pagtaas ng presyo ng mga batayang pangangailangan sa pagkain at iba pa. Sukdulang lumala at lumaganap ang kahirapan sa Pilipinas dahil sa patakarang neoliberal, korapsyon, militarisasyon at pagiging pabaya ni Duterte sa pandemya.
Malapit na ang State of the Nation Address o SONA ni Pangulong Duterte. Ito na po ang huling taon ng kanyang administrasyon. Sa limang taong nakalipas, may ilang natutuwa sa kanyang pamumuno pero mas marami ang nagagalit at humihingi ng hustisya sa maraming paglabag sa karapatang-tao, kawalan at kapos na ayuda sa panahon ng pandemya, kawalan ng subsidyo para sa mga magsasaka, kawalan ng hanapbuhay sa maraming kababayan at marami pang KAWALAN. Ano ang inyong masasabi sa nakalipas na limang taon ni Duterte, Prof Sison?
JMS: Sa pagiging presidente, maraming malalaking krimen na ginawa ni Duterte bilang traidor, tirano, mamamatay-tao, mandarambong at manggagantso.
a. Traidor siya at papet ng dalawang imperyalistang kapangyarihan. Hinahayaan niya ang US sa pagiging dominante pa rin sa ekonomiya, pulitika, militar at kultura sa Pilipinas dahil nagbibigay ng armas na panupil sa mga mamamayan. Bentador siya ng West Philippine Sea sa Tsina at kasabwat siya ng mga kriminal na Tsinong sindikato sa pagpuslit at pagkalat ng illegal na droga.
b. Nagkunwari si Duterte na laban siya sa illegal drugs at nag-utos sa pagpaslang ng higit sa 33,000 drug suspects. Pero ginawa niya itong paraan para maging supremo ng mga drug lord, kumita ng malaki, manakot sa publiko at gawing kriminal, korap at pribadong utusan ang mga pulis.
k. Nagkunwari rin siyang Kaliwa at sosyalista at nangakong palayain ang lahat ng bilanggong pulitikal, magkaroon ng seryosong peace negotiations at sumunod sa people’s agenda. Pero hindi nagtagal lumitaw ang pakana niyang sirain ang peace negotiations para magpataw ng terorismo ng estado sa sambayanang Pilipino at magpanatili ng sarili sa kapangyarihan. Pananagutan ni Duterte ang pagpaslang ng maraming tao sa ngalan ng “counter-insurgency” o kontra-rebolusyon.
d. Isa pang dahilan kung bakit sinira ng Duterte ang peace negotiations. Marahas na tutol siya sa tunay ng reporma sa lupa at pambansang industrialisasyon. Nang malapit nang malubos ang borador ng Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms, nagpahiwatig na ayaw na niyang matuloy ang peace negotiations. Pusakal na burukrata kapitalista si Duterte at aso siya talaga ng mga imperyalista,malalaking komprador at asendero.
e. Nangako si Duterte na puksain ang korupsyon sa gobyerno. Lumitaw na siya pala ang pinakagarapal na mandarambong sa pondo ng bayan. At pinalaya pa niya ang mga alyado niyang mandarambong tulad nina Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, mga Marcos, mga Estrada, Enrile, Revilla at iba pa at pinawalang-saysay ang mga kaso laban sa kanila. Mga kasuklam-suklam na mga burukrata kapitalista sila lahat.
g. Nangako ng subsidyo sa mga magsasaka. Hindi niya tinupad ito at hinahayaan niyang binabarat ng mga komersyante ang lokal produkto sa agricultura at pinaluwagan niya ang pag-angkat ng bigas at asukal. Sinira ni Duterte ang kasarinlan ng Pilipinas sa pagkain.
h. Nangako na itigil niya ang endo. Hindi niya tinupad ito. Pinipigil pa niya ang pagtaas ng minimum wage samantalang walang tigil ang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga batayang kalakal dahil sa TRAIN law at malaking pagbagsak ng ekonomya sa nakaraang dalawang taon. Dahil sa implasyon at bangkarote ang gobyerno muhing-muhi ang mga mamamayan kay Duterte.
i. Hinayaan ni Duterte na kumalat ang Covid-19 sa Pilipinas sa palagay na kikita siya sa mga Chinese casino at 500,000 na Chinese tourist. Pagkatapos nangako ng mass testing, libreng panggagamot at ayuda sa mga tao. Hindi tinupad ang pangako at ibinulsa niya ang bilyun-bilyon na inilaan para sa ayuda at pagbili ng bakuna at PPE para sa mga front liner.
l. Dati nang pinalulundag ni Duterte ang utang ng Pilipinas dahil sa korupsyon at military overspending. Sabi pa niyang hindi mapigil ang korupsyon at ipinagmamalaki pa na pinalalamon niya ng pera ang mga heneral. Palaki nang palaki ang depisit sa badyet ng gobyerno at sa foreign trade. Magmula 2016, pinalundag ni Duterte ang utang ng Pilipinas mula 5.9 trillion pesos hanggang 10.9 trillion pesos. Sa huling taon, pinalundag niya ng 2 trillion persos ang utang sa ngalan ng pandemya.
m. Pananagutan ni Duterte ang malubhang krisis ngayon ng naghaharing sistema sa ekonomiya at sa pulitika. Makapal pa ang mukha niyang tumindig na magiging tunay na kapangyarihan sa likuran ni Sara bilang papet niya. Parang hindi niya alam na sa susunod na taon lalong lulubha pa ang krisis at lalong babalikwas ang masang Pilipino.
Meron po ba kayong gustong iwan sa ating mga tagapakinig, Prof Sison.
JMS: Dapat ilantad at kondenahin ang mga mga krimen ni Duterte. Dapat tayong magalit sa mga krimen na ito at sa tiyak na gagawin niyang pandaraya sa darating na eleksyon para manatili sa kapangyarihan at mahadlangan ang warrant of arrest mula sa International Criminal Court.
Gawin ng sambayanang Pilipino at mga makabayan at demokratikong pwersa ang lahat na magagawa para labanan at gapiin ang lahat ng pakana at kilos ng pangkating Duterte para manlinlang at manakot sa masa at manatili sa kapangyarihan.
Pag-isipan na rin kung ano ang dapat nating gawin sa 2022 at sa anim na taon na susunod sa halalan, para sa pagsusulong ng pakikibaka para sa pambansang kalayaan at demokrasya. Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!
Prof Sison: Maraming salamat at paalam sa inyo Sarah at sa lahat ng ating tagapakinig.
Prof Sarah: Extro. Maraming-maraming salamat Prof. Sison para sa malaman at komprehensibong pagtalakay sa mga kasalanan sa mamamayan ni Duterte sa nakaraang limang taon. Nilinaw ni Prof Sison na walang silbi ang pagtakbo ni Duterte, gayundin ng kanyang anak na si Sara Duterte, kundi ang matakasan ang mga kaso at krimen na patuloy na namemerwisyo sa mga mamamayan. Kaalinsabay ng pagnanais ng mga Duterte na paghariin ang impunity o ang kawalan ng pananagutan at kaparusahan para sa mga makapangyarihang gumagawa ng krimen laban sa mamamayan ay ang patuloy na pagkamal ng kita są pusisyon sa gubyerno.
Sinumang kumalaban sa kapangyarihan ni Duterte ay nararapat lamang na tahasang kondenahin at umagapay sa malawak na kilusan ng mamamayan na nagsasabing, Wakasan Na ang tiraniya sa bansa. Parusahan ang presidenteng kapit-tuko sa kapangyarihan.
Muling sumasainyo, ito po si Sarah Raymundo, guro ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas at aktibista ng Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. Tandaan po natin Ang pagpili ng maka-mamamayan at makabayang mga kandidato na matapang na tutunggali sa tiraniya ay nararapat lang sabayan ng bawat mamamayan ng pakikipagkaisa sa pagbubuo at pagpapalakas ng malawak na kilusang masana nagsasabing “Duterte, wakasan na!”
End
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/vlcsnap-2021-07-15-20h17m45s677.png10801920Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2021-07-15 20:18:212021-07-15 20:18:22ITANONG MO KAY PROF: Duterte, ICC, NTF-ELCAC, SONA at Eleksyong 2022
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been asked to proceed with an investigation on the human rights crisis in the Philippines after the conclusion of the preliminary investigation pointing to mass murders under the Rodrigo Duterte regime.
“Following a thorough preliminary examination process, the available information indicates that members of the Philippine National Police, and others acting in concert with them, have unlawfully killed between several thousand and tens of thousands of civilians [between 2016 and 2019],” ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said.
“My Office has also reviewed information related to allegations of torture and other inhumane acts, and related events as early as 1 November 2011, the beginning of the Court’s jurisdiction in the Philippines, all of which we believe require investigation,” she added.
Bensouda said her preliminary investigation has determined that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the crime against humanity of murder has been committed on the territory of the Philippines between 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019 in the context of the Government of Philippines’ “war on drugs” campaign.
The prosecutor said the situation in the Philippines has been under preliminary examination since February 2018 when her office started analyzing “a large amount of publicly available information and information provided to it under article 15 of the Rome Statute.”
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is a treaty that established the permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.
Lawyer Jude Sabio filed charges before the ICC on April 2017 accusing Duterte of crimes against humanity in connection with the thousands of deaths of suspected illegal drug dependents.
In 2017, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV traveled to The Hague, The Netherlands to submit information bolstering Sabio’s charges.
The group Rise Up for Life and for Rights composed of families of the victims of Duterte’s war on drugs also submitted a complaint before the ICC in 2018.
Duterte responded by ordering the Philippines’ withdrawal of its ratification of the Rome Statute and repeatedly insulting Bensouda.
Bensouda however clarified that although the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute effective March 17, 2019, the ICC retains jurisdiction over crimes that are alleged to have occurred on the territory of the country during the period when it was still a party to the statute.
“Moreover, these crimes are not subject to any statute of limitation,” she explained.
Karapatan photo
Welcome development
Bensouda’s announcement was welcomed by human rights and activist groups as a “long-awaited step towards justice and accountability.”
“[I]t is yet another damning indictment of the Duterte government’s murderous policies that have killed — and continue to kill — thousands of Filipinos with impunity,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.
“Karapatan, together with the families of the victims of the drug war and other human rights advocates, welcomes this significant and much-needed development amid the backdrop of the rapidly deteriorating human rights crisis in the Philippines,” Palabay added.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said that one of Duterte’s grossest crimes is its so-called war on illegal drugs.
“In spite of the thousands upon thousands killed, the illegal drugs scourge has gone unabated, proving it is ineffective,” Reyes said.
The ICC prosecutor’s findings is another clear basis why darkness should never be allowed to reign over our country. The regime of state-sponsored killings must be stopped,” he added. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
https://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bensouda.jpg8001200Kodao Productionshttps://kodao.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/kodao.pngKodao Productions2021-06-16 07:29:502021-06-16 07:30:30ICC asked to proceed with investigations on Duterte gov’t’s war on drugs
