ICC TO PNP OFFICIALS: COOPERATE IN PROBE
THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has “directly communicated” with over 50 active and former police officials regarding its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity or murder during the drug war under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
This was bared by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV in a social media post on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
“Based on highly credible information, the ICC investigators have already directly communicated with more than 50 active and former PNP officials regarding their being implicated in the crimes against humanity case of Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC,” he said.
“This means that if they do not immediately signify their intention to cooperate with the investigators, their status would be elevated to being suspects and, therefore, would result in travel restrictions initially and eventually arrest via Interpol,” he added.
In response, the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief of the Public Information Office (PIO) Col. Jean Fajardo maintained that while they respect the ongoing investigation of the ICC, they stand by the position of the National Government.
“We have a working judicial system. Meron tayong mga korte na pupuwede pong duminig kung meron man pong mga pag-aabuso at mga ireguralidad sa hanay ng PNP at napatunayan natin dahil may mga pulis tayo na nakasuhan, nakulong at naconvict. So yun ang gagawin ng PNP, magpapasakop sa hurisdiksyon ng Pilipinas,” she said.
(We have a working judicial system. We have courts that can hear if there are any abuses and irregularities in the ranks of the PNP and we have proven it because we have police officers who have been charged, imprisoned and convicted. So that’s what the PNP will do, submit to the jurisdiction of the Philippines.)
Trillanes was among the personalities who sought the intervention of the ICC into the bloody drug war of Duterte back in 2017.
He earlier said the ICC has gathered enough evidence against Duterte and an arrest warrant against him may be out “very very soon.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said the Philippines will not cooperate in the ongoing ICC probe into Duterte’s drug war, as the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country.
Marcos said he considered the ICC as a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
He said the Philippines will not recognize any arrest warrant that may be issued by the ICC.
“We don’t recognize the warrant that they will send to us... That’s a no… We are well within international law when we take the position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines,” said Marcos.
In July 2023, the ICC appeals chamber granted a request seeking the resumption of investigation on alleged crimes against humanity or murder in the Philippines related to Duterte’s controversial drug war from Nov. 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019.
Duterte was the mayor of Davao City from 2011 before he was elected as the president in 2016.
He ordered the withdrawal of the Philippine’s membership from the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, in March 2019.
Also named as the principal respondent of the case along with Duterte was the former chief of the PNP now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa served as the chief implementer of the drug war, which resulted in the death of over 6,000 alleged drug personalities.
Several policemen were facing charges before the Department of Justice over alleged irregularities in the conduct of anti-illegal drugs operations under the former administration, including the alleged planting of evidence, among others.