ICC probe to bare ‘bloated’ numbers on drug war killings, says Sotto

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday said the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs should be allowed to continue to show the “bloated and inaccurate” statistics on “Tokhang” deaths.

“Mabuti nga mag-imbestiga sila para makita nila kung tama yung numbers na binibigay sa kanila,” Sotto, a vice presidential aspirant, said in a radio interview.

(It is better to let them investigate so they could see if the numbers given to them are accurate.)

Citing data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Sotto said there are around 218,000 drug operations conducted, 315,635 suspects arrested, and 6,215 deaths due to the drug war as of October 2021.

“E di makita nila, compare nila kung may namatay sa sinasabi nilang, ika nga nilang ‘tokhang.’ Mas magandang mag-imbestiga sila, ituloy nila ang investigation para makita nila na ‘yung mga nakakarating na figures sa kanila e bloated at hindi accurate,” he added.

(They could see and compare if the number of deaths from the so-called "Tokhang" is accurate. It is better to let them investigate. They should continue the investigation so they could realize that the numbers that have reached their office are bloated and inaccurate.)

“Ang record ng ICC 30,000 ata o 20,000 kaya tingnan nila. Mas mabuti tingnan nila, makita nila kung commensurate yung mga figures na sinsabi sa kanila,” he went on.

(The ICC's number is at around 30,000 or 20,000. It would be better if they will see it for themselves.)

The war against illegal drugs was one of the campaign promises by Duterte. He vowed to eradicate illegal drugs within three to six months since he assumed the presidency in 2016.

Oplan Tokhang, the police’s knock-and-plead strategy of convincing suspected drug personalities to stop using illegal drugs, became controversial as critics of the government claim this has left over 20,000 suspects dead.

Authorities, however, placed the fatalities at over 6,000. They also insist that the suspects were killed while fighting it out with responding law enforcers.

Further, Sotto questioned why did the ICC needed to ask for permission to enter the Philippines before it conducts its investigation.

“Puwede ka naman pumunta dito na turista e. Bakit kasi magpapaalam pa kayo? Kung gusto nila mag-imbestiga, hindi ko sila tinuturuan, ako, kung mag-iimbestiga ako, gagawa ako ng paraan para mag-imbestiga. Hindi ‘yung puro ka pa-press release, papasikat sa media, pagkatapos papaalam pa kunyari e alam mo namang hindi ka papayagan,” he said.

(They could come here as tourists. Why do they need to ask for permission? If they really want to investigate, they will find ways to investigate. I won't issue press releases or get exposure from the media to inform them of my investigation because I know that the government won't allow it.)

In 2020, Sotto had questioned the ICC’s report indicating that there is a “reasonable basis” to believe that crimes against humanity had been committed in the Duterte administration’s drug war.

The ICC temporarily halted its probe on the Duterte administration’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs after the Philippines requested the international court to defer the investigation.

The ICC, however, still asked the Philippines for proof that it is conducting its own investigation into the drug-related killings.—LDF, GMA News