ICC asked to admit ‘kill list’ testimonies
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors have asked the court to accept as evidence prior recorded testimonies of five unnamed witnesses who could detail former President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged “kill list” and rewards system for police officers in the drug war killings.
The prosecution, in its latest filing dated Oct. 12, but made public early Saturday, asked the Trial Chamber (TC) III to admit the testimonies of witnesses identified only as P-1087, P-1151, P-1158, P-1161 and P-1204 into evidence because they are “internally consistent and corroborative of evidence to be provided by other witnesses.”
If granted admission, the five individuals may be presented in court to substantiate their testimonies and be examined by the prosecution, defense lawyers and TC III judges.
Among the key testimonies of this group of witnesses is Duterte’s supposed involvement in what is referred as the PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) list and the monetary reward system offered to police officers to encourage them to successfully execute the killings.
“As such, their evidence is particularly relevant to the policy to ‘neutralise’ through violent crimes, including murder, alleged criminals in the Philippines and to [REDACTED] to implement this policy,” they said in the 12-page document.
The so-called PRRD list contains names of suspects allegedly using narcotics or engaging in the drug trade. Duterte had made public various lists targeting drug suspects.
The reward system that gave merit to the killings was revealed by former Cebu City police chief Royina Garma in a House quad committee hearing in 2024. She told lawmakers that as much as P1 million was supposedly given to police officers who were able to kill a drug suspect.
One of the witnesses also expressed doubts on the veracity of the Philippine National Police reports on antidrug operations that had fatalities.
Witness P-1100
PNP data on killings from official police operations are in conflict with estimates from rights watchdogs and media monitoring groups. Many of them ended up as fatalities because authorities claimed the drug suspects had resisted or, in police parlance, “nanlaban.”
The five individuals are the latest set of witnesses the prosecution is asking to be introduced after three others, P-1370, P-1393 and P-1416, were also submitted as having knowledge of police drug war killings in Bulacan province.
The TC III on Oct. 2 already allowed the witness tagged as P-1100 to be admitted. P-1100 was described as having evidence on the existence and operations of the Davao Death Squad, a group of hit men who allegedly took orders from Duterte.
In Manila, the Truth Commission will hold a storytelling workshop today meant to help two mothers who lost children in the drug war continue in their healing.
Dubbed “Mga Kuwentong Nagpapagaling” (Stories that Heal), the session will gather these mothers who already gave their testimonies to the commission’s “truth-telling” sessions.
The commission has so far conducted four sessions since August to hear drug war stories not covered by Duterte’s ICC case.
