Rody absolved by Senate panel on killings – Palace
Faced with possible prosecution before the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malacañang disclosed yesterday that President Duterte has been absolved by the Senate of any involvement in extrajudicial killings in the country, including those perpetrated by the Davao death squad.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the Senate committee on justice and human rights, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon, has cleared Duterte of any liability in extralegal killings when it wrapped up its probe on Thursday.
“The recently concluded investigation by the Senate panel on alleged summary executions of crime suspects absolved President Duterte of any involvement in the killings when he was still mayor and now that he is President,” Abella said.
The Senate’s official report will be presented tomorrow, Abella said.
“There is no proof that the killings were state-sponsored,” Abella quoted Gordon as saying.
Duterte cannot be held liable for extrajudicial killings when he was Davao City mayor and now that he is President, according to Abella.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar also said that the drug- related killings were “not statesanctioned.”
“Many of those who died were killed in legitimate police operations,” Andanar said.
Malacañang maintained that the President is willing to submit himself to investigation by “any body.”
On Friday, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda warned Philippine officials of possible prosecution for supposedly condoning and encouraging the bloody campaign against illegal drugs.
“If any of these prosper, and within agreed upon parameters, it should lay to rest the undue attention the Philippine campaign against drugs has been subject to, and focus on the second phase of regarding the matter as a public health, social and economic issue,” Abella said.
Malacañang earlier invited United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Agnes Callamard to come to the country and investigate summary executions of drug suspects since Duterte assumed office in June.
In a letter signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Malacañang said it would serve both parties better if President Duterte would also be allowed to express himself and propound questions to the rapporteur in the spirit of fair play and due process.
Duterte said his office would be extending the same invitation to the United States and the European Union.
The President reiterated that he has no hand in the killings, adding that threatening to kill drug suspects or ordering policemen to shoot them if they resist arrest is not a crime under Philippine laws.