DILG decries ‘false, biased’ ICC prosecutor’s report on drug war

An International Criminal Court (ICC) report stating there is basis to believe that crimes against humanity were committed in the Philippines’ drug war is “false, biased, and without factual and legal basis,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año claimed Wednesday.

Año, who oversees the Philippine National Police (PNP) that carries out President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, stressed the need to uphold “the presumption of regularity in the performance of duty of the police.”

“While we are firm in our drive to curb the problem of illegal drugs, we denounce any form of human rights violation. The DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) is working closely with the PNP in ensuring that no atrocities are committed by our police officers,” he said in a statement.

ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda earlier said she found “reasonable basis” to believe that crimes against humanity such as murder, torture, and the infliction of serious physical injury and mental harm, among others, were committed in the drug war. 

Año, who repeatedly addressed the female prosecutor as a man, said her claims were “baseless.”

“The Philippines’ judicial system is fully functioning. Any alleged abuses in the implementation of the drug war can and should be independently tried, heard, and decided by the Philippine courts,” he said.

The Interior Secretary also echoed Malacañang’s position that the Philippines does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC. 

Duterte withdrew the country from the ICC in 2018 over the “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” attacks against him and his administration, but it had no effect on the ICC prosecutor’s preliminary examination into the drug war. 

Año maintained that the DILG “has been espousing good governance through policies and incentive programs to the local government sector.”

He also cited efforts by the PNP and the National Police Commission to “cleanse” the ranks of police officers from rights violators.

“It is disheartening to the frontliners in the fight against illegal drugs that the gains in peace and order are not highlighted and instead besmirched with baseless charges which only serves to embolden drug syndicates,” Año said.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency earlier reported that 5,942 suspected drug personalities have so far been killed in anti-illegal drugs operations. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News