This is the story about the Rodrigo Duterte response to the ICC (International Criminal Court) pre-Trial Chamber evaluation of the prosecutor’s reasoning for proceeding in a case against Rodrigo Duterte and several of his henchmen.
Background. The quantum of death prior to the end of 2018.
- Since Duterte took power, murder cases rose by 60% says the Vice President of the Philippines.
- Some 25 to 29.7 extra violent deaths occured daily in the Philippines as a result of state-personnel and state-directed-vigilante extra judicial killings. Read study report from the RINJ Foundation.
- 1,600 Filipinos died daily in 2017, on average, from all causes. Read study.
- 22.3-27 average daily killings took place as a result of murders and occasional armed conflicts. Read study.
- Under Rodrigo Duterte there were 27,832 traceable extrajudicial killings up to December of 2018. Read more.
by Melissa Hemingway and Micheal John
Rodrigo Duterte repeatedly admitted publicly to the murder of his fellow Filipinos and his one time Minister of Justice has said, ‘Killing a class of people known as drug suspects is not a crime against humanity because they are not human.’
Nevertheless, Rodrigo Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the International Criminal Court which took effect, 17 March, 2019 and remained defiant against the International Criminal Court and the United Nations.
From 2016 through 2019, The RINJ Foundation Women raised accusations related to the crime of rape in a warzone against Duterte’s Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Additionally the global civil society women’s rights group raised substantial accusations of murdering a class of people against the government of the Philippines led by the following persons who in material time of their crimes had the following titles:
- Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte
- Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre
- Philippine Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa
- House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez
- Former Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno
- Police Superintendent Edilberto Leonardo
- Senior Police Officer Sanson “Sonny” Buenaventura
- Police Superintendent Royina Garma
- National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran
- Solicitor General Jose Calida
- Sen. Richard Gordon
- Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano
and more.
Duterte Responds Indirectly to the recent ICC Announcement
Watch Rodrigo Duterte’s response via his spokesperson Harry Roque who uses a different name, and holds out to represent the Philippines National Police which is also a target of examination of the ICC. Mr. Roque now claims to be the lawyer—“the only lawyer in the Philippines listed with the International Criminal Court”—apparently defending Duterte, but readers can watch and listen and decide for themselves what is the truth.
Rodrigo Roa Duterte Spokesperson and recent failed political candidate known normally as Harry Roque using the name Harry Herminio Lopez Roque Jr. now allegedly speaking on behalf of the accused Philippines President and the Philippines National Police, posted a video on YouTube complaining against the recommendations of ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda in her pleadings to the Pre-Trial Chamber of three judges in the International Criminal Court to begin a detailed ‘Investigation‘.
Read: ICC-Philippines-Investigation-CR2021_05381
Youtube Video Capture. See video below. Art/Cropping/Enhancement: Rosa Yamamoto FPMag
Video explaining Duterte objections to case for full investigation.
The record of a 97% kill ratio in alleged attempts to arrest drug suspects in the Philippines is part of the reasoning for proceeding against the accused.
Video: Example of EJK, The Barrangay 19 Murders in Manila.
These identified police officers from Manila (PS-2) Moriones Police Station, murder Mr. Roland Campo among others and then carry out the bodies which they take to a nearby hospital in Tondo for a certificate of death. Police told witnesses not to complain because they were just following government orders.
Rodrigo Duterte responded Tuesday to the International Criminal Court allegations that, “the Crime Against Humanity of Murder was committed from at least 1 July 2016 to 16 March 2019 in the context of the Philippine government’s “war on drugs” (“WoD”) campaign. Information obtained by the Prosecution suggests that state actors, primarily members of the Philippine security forces, killed thousands of suspected drug users and other civilians during official law enforcement operations. Markedly similar crimes were committed outside official police operations, reportedly by so-called “vigilantes”, although information suggests that some vigilantes were in fact police officers, while others were private citizens recruited, coordinated, and paid by police to kill civilians.”
“…Having reached this determination and implemented these measures, some of which were delayed by the onset of the global pandemic, on 12 April 2021, I notified the Presidency of my intention to file a request pursuant to article 15 of the Statute, which I proceeded to file on 24 May 2021. Today, I have filed a public redacted version of the request, in the interests of transparency and also to provide notice to the victims as foreseen in rule 50(1) of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the Court.
“Although the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute of the ICC took effect on 17 March 2019, as the Court has previously found in the context of the Burundi situation, the Court retains jurisdiction over crimes that are alleged to have occurred on the territory of that State during the period when it was a State Party to the Rome Statute. Moreover, these crimes are not subject to any statute of limitation.”
Citing ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in her statement about her pleadings to the Pre-Trial Chamber of three judges in the International Criminal Court. (ICC-Philippines-Investigation-CR2021_05381)
One of the Duterte sycophants named in a complaint to the International Criminal Court is Vitaliano Aguirre, a Duterte regime “Justice Minister” now Commissioner of the National Police Commission (Napolcom). He said about the initial ICC examination, “Killing a class of people known as drug suspects is not a crime against humanity because they are not human.” The RINJ Foundation pointed out that the “EJ killings have included babies, people with disabilities, political opponents and journalists, not just drug users”. Photo courtesy: The RINJ Foundation
Video below: A sad requiem for those tens of thousands lost to extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Each extra-judicial killing is the face of a person loved by a family, friends and community.
May their memories always be a blessing.
A sad requiem for those tens of thousands lost to extrajudicial killings in the Philippines. Each extra-judicial killing is the face of a person loved by a family, friends and community.
The International Criminal Court Says
“The Prosecution submits that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the Crime Against Humanity of Murder was committed from at least 1 July 2016 to 16 March 2019 in the context of the Philippine government’s “war on drugs” (“WoD”) campaign. Information obtained by the Prosecution suggests that state actors, primarily members of the Philippine security forces, killed thousands of suspected drug users and other civilians during official law enforcement operations. Markedly similar crimes were committed outside official police operations, reportedly by so-called “vigilantes”, although information suggests that some vigilantes were in fact police officers, while others were private citizens recruited, coordinated, and paid by police to kill civilians. The total number of civilians killed in connection with the WoD between July 2016 and March 2019 appears to be between 12,000 and 30,000,” writes Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda in her pleadings to the Pre-Trial Chamber of three judges in the International Criminal Court. (ICC-Philippines-Investigation-CR2021_05381)
In the Philippines, lawmakers and even the Vice-President have done everything they can to use the mostly Duterte-disabled rule-of-law devices to prosecute the EJKs but were blocked.
The Opposition leader, also a diminished Vice-President of the Philippines, went to the media and United Nations
Lawmakers tried to impeach Duterte but Dissent is dangerous. There is no accountability of Philippines Officials under the Duterte Regime.
Philippines lawmakers have done their due diligence in attempting to prosecute the alleged crimes of Rodrigo Duterte Read: The Actual Congress of the Philippines Impeachment Document which sets out that Philippines rule of law mechanisms failed.
If you are Poor in the Philippines You Are K
Source References:
- The Actual Congress of the Philippines Impeachment Document which sets out that Philippines rule of law mechanisms failed.
- If you are Poor in the Philippines You Are Killed – Amnesty International
- Philippines A Pariah in the 2016-2017 Report of Amnesty International
- Human Rights Watch – License To Kill
From the RINJ Foundation Reports:
- Human Rights In The Philippines Ransacked by Duterte Junta
- RINJ Calls For Philippines President Duterte’s Resignation pending indictment for Systematic State-Sponsored Murder
- Largest Global Woman’s Group sees Fierce 2017 Fight for Safety of Woman & Kids