Kin of EJK victims dismayed by suspension of ICC probe

The loved ones of the victims of extrajudicial killings were dismayed by the International Criminal Court's suspension of its Philippine drug war investigation.

According to Jun Veneracion's report on "24 Oras" on Monday, Llore Pasco, the mother of two drug war victims, said the ICC's temporary suspension of its probe was depressing.

Pasco lost her two sons Juan Carlos and Crisanto in May 2017 after they were killed at the Arboretum in Quezon City. They were alleged to be robbers who fought the police.

"[S]iyempre nawalan ka ng isa, sobrang sakit pero 'pag nawalan ka ng dalawa, tripleng sakit," she said.

(Of course, you lose one son, it was very painful. But when you lose two sons, it's triple the pain.)

"Nakakagalit, nakakagigil, 'yon 'yong term ko at nakakapanlumo," she added.

(It's infuriating, overwhelming, that's how I would describe it, depressing.)

The ICC temporarily suspended its Philippine drug war investigation.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, assigned to look into the drug war, bared that they would temporarily halt the probe as they assessed the Philippine government's request to defer the investigation.

The Philippine government's request for a deferral cited the Department of Justice's referral of 52 cases, in which the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service found administrative liability on the part of the concerned personnel, to the National Bureau of Investigation.

The National Union of People's Lawyers said the ICC's temporary suspension on the probe is not a setback.

"Hindi naman pinigil so hindi siya minor setback. Habang bukas pa rin 'yong ICC, 'yong office of the prosecutor sa pagtanggap ng ebidensiya, kahit hindi siya aktibong naghahanap ng ebidensiya, ay sa tingin namin na mayroon na siyang hawak eh," Atty. Kristina Conti of the NUPL said.

(We did not contest it so it's not a minor setback. While the ICC, the prosecutor's office remain open to receiving evidence, even if they're not actively seeking evidence, they already have the evidence.)

— Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM, GMA News