Philippines: ICC launches probe into deadly “war on drugs”, seeks to end impunity | Amnesty International
▻https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/09/icc-launches-probe-philippines-war-on-drugs-duterte
“The ICC pre-trial chamber’s announcement sends a clear message to the perpetrators and architects of these crimes that they will not escape accountability. No one is above the law. Duterte’s government must immediately end the cycle of killings, remove those involved from the ranks of the police and bring all those suspected of criminal responsibility to trial.”
“For decades, the Philippines has been beset by a pervasive culture of impunity, but this has worsened under the Duterte administration with the widespread and systematic killing of thousands of alleged drug suspects since 2016. This probe finally offers victims a chance to obtain justice.”
Over the past year, there has been an upsurge of human rights violations in the Philippines, including waves of killings, threats, arbitrary arrests and detention of activists and human rights defenders. Recently, two lawyers were killed by unidentified men; Rex Fernandez was shot dead in Cebu City on 26 August 2021, while Juan Macababbad was killed on 15 September 2021 in South Cotabato. Fernandez was a founding member of the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), of which Macababbad was also an official.
“With the Philippines gearing up for its next presidential elections in 2022, this announcement from the ICC comes at a pivotal time. Human rights should be at the centre of discussions when the Philippines chooses its next leaders.”
“It is now crucial that the international community steps up. It must reinforce the ICC’s investigation and mandate a comprehensive, UN-led investigation into the deeply ominous human rights situation in the country.”
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