The International Criminal Court (ICC) has started to probe President Rodrigo Duterte over alleged human rights violations brought by his war on drugs, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement.
After “a careful, independent and impartial review… I have decided to open a preliminary examination into each situation,” she said in a statement to the Agence France-Presse.
According to the AFP report, the examination would focus on crimes allegedly committed starting at least July 2016, two months after Duterte won the presidency.
“…it has been alleged that since 1 July 2016, thousands of persons have been killed for reasons related to their alleged involvement in illegal drug use or dealing,” Bensouda said.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque confirmed the probe during a news conference yesterday.
“The President has said that he also welcomes this preliminary examination because he is sick and tired of being accused of the commission of crimes against humanity,” he said.
Roque, however, clarified that there is a difference between a “preliminary examination” and a “preliminary investigation.” The former, he said, is only done to see if there is a basis to hold an investigation.
The ICC’s examination is a response to a complaint filed by a lawyer in April that raised drug war deaths allegedly linked to Duterte and 11 other government officials.
The ICC started in 2002 and can prosecute people from member countries for crimes of genocide, crimes agaisnt humanity, and war crimes.
According to the latest count from the Philippine National Police, about 4,000 people have died due to the narcotics crackdown but human rights groups believe the number is closer to 13,000.
Still, Roque maintains that the war on drugs is a legitimate use of police power. “As a sovereign state, the Philippines has the inherent responsibility to protect its current and future generations by effectively addressing threats of the safety and well-being of its citizens such as proliferation of illegal drugs,” he said.
