Rights group: Drug war heads ‘a risk’ to justice
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against Senators Christopher “Bong” Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, among other officials during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte whom the court identified as alleged coperpetrators in his drug war.
ICHRP spokesperson Peter Murphy warned that these associates of the former president present a risk to justice “while still at large.”
On Saturday, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I (PTC-I) released a “lesser redacted” copy of the “Document Containing the Charges” earlier issued by the court’s Office of the Prosecutor, which identified Go and Dela Rosa as coperpetrators in Duterte’s drug war, together with former Philippine National Police chiefs Oscar Albayalde, Vicente Danao and the late Camilo Cascolan; former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II; former National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran, and former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director Isidro Lapeña.
Go, who served as Duterte’s personal aide and special assistant from 1998 to 2018, has disputed the allegations, saying these were “entirely unfounded, one-sided, [and] unfair.” Dela Rosa has been absent from the Senate since Nov. 10 last year.
PTC-I’s release of the document comes more than a week ahead of the confirmation of charges hearing scheduled on Feb. 23.
“ICHRP calls for the ICC to urgently issue arrest warrants for Dela Rosa, Go and the others named so that they can also face trial, along with their boss Duterte,” Murphy said in a statement by his group dated Feb. 14 and released on Sunday.
“It remains abundantly clear that the Philippine judicial system is unable to prosecute these alleged co-perpetrators. While still at large, they are a risk for destruction of evidence, intimidation of witnesses and also flight risks,” he said.
Lawyer Kristina Conti of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, representing the families of victims of the drug war, wrote on Facebook on Sunday that “the involvement of those in the investigating units, which should have acted as the killings happen, is material to the [drug war] plan.”
ICHRP praised the ICC for its progress and commended the tribunal for rejecting claims that Duterte was unfit for trial as a result of cognitive impairment.
“This is a result of a huge effort by the victims, by their advocacy campaign Rise Up for Life and for Rights, and their legal team,” Murphy said.
PTC-I has recently approved 500 additional victims to take part in the case against Duterte, raising the total number of victims involved at the confirmation of charges stage to 539.
Duterte is accused of crimes against humanity of murder for the thousands of deaths during his long mayoralty in Davao City and during his presidency. He was arrested in March last year and transported to The Hague where he remains at the ICC Detention Centre.
‘Real culprits’
Meanwhile, Rise Up for Life and for Rights, a group composed of relatives of drug war victims, welcomed the identification of Duterte’s alleged coperpetrators.
“We have known their names and faces as Duterte’s cohorts, but the ICC naming them feels like a gentle pat on our shoulders, as we grieve for our loved ones,” Jane Lee, whose husband was killed by riding-in-tandem gunmen in 2017, said in the statement.
For Dahlia Cuartero, whose son was killed in 2019 in the course of the drug war campaign, the recent ICC disclosure has finally shown the names of the “real culprits.”
“My son was maligned as a drug user and criminal. I and other families have been called many names as we fight for justice,” Cuartero said.
“Today, we have seen and read the names of the real culprits—they who have blood on their hands for implementing a deadly policy. The world ought to know who they are,” she added.
Rise Up also criticized Duterte’s defense team for filing a disqualification request against lawyers Joel Butuyan and Gilbert Andres, whom the ICC recently appointed as representatives of the drug war victims, as well as lawyer Nicole Arcaina, who was designated case manager for the victims.
Kaufman argued that Arcaina’s role as case manager is “structurally incompatible” with her other undisclosed designation since it would allow the team of representatives to access pieces of evidence outside the disclosure scheme, adding that Butuyan and Andres should have raised before PTC-I.
‘Derail fight for justice’
For the families of drug war victims, however, the disqualification request is merely an attempt by the defense to “obstruct” the international court’s proceedings.
“Duterte and his lawyers have exhausted all the legal actions they could think of to derail our fight for justice. With the confirmation of charges hearing to begin on Feb. 23, their desperation grows,” said Sheerah Escudero, whose brother was found dead in 2017 with his hands bound and head wrapped in packaging tape.
“Fortunately for us, the ICC so far has denied Duterte’s appeals. Duterte and his lawyers are clearly frustrated because their tactics are not working,” she noted.
“Duterte must be held accountable for crimes against humanity. We will continue to fight for justice for our loved ones until Duterte is found guilty,” Cuartero said. —WITH A REPORT FROM GILLIAN VILLANUEVA
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