PNP: Cops who talked to ICC on Duterte case may face sanctions

The cops who communicated with the International Criminal Court (ICC) about the crime against humanity case against ex-President Rodrigo Duterte may face sanctions, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.

“Obviously, kung ikaw ay isang active personnel at you are performing any activities that is contrary to what is being stated officially ng PNP, posible na may kaharapin pong sanction ang sinumang pulis na hindi po susunod sa tinatawag na chain of command,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing.

(Obviously, if you are an active personnel and you are performing any activities that is contrary to what is being stated officially by the PNP, it is possible that any police officer who does not follow the so-called chain of command will face sanctions.)

Fajardo said police officers should seek permission first from higher authorities.

“This also follows 'yung mga ordinaryong pulis natin na bago po iyan magsagawa ng operation ay nagpapaalam po 'yan sa kanilang mga immediate supervisor,” she said.

(This also follows our ordinary police officers who inform their immediate supervisors before conducting any operation.)

“So we observe 'yung aming tinatawag na command line, 'yun 'yung hindi dapat natin naba-violate po (So we observe what we call the command line, that's what we shouldn't violate),” she added.

On Wednesday, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said the ICC has communicated with more than 50 active and former police officials implicated in the crime against humanity case against Duterte.

Trillanes, who was among the individuals who sought ICC’s intervention in Duterte's drug war, cited a “highly credible information.”

“The ICC investigators have already directly communicated with more than 50 active and former PNP officials regarding their being implicated in the crimes against humanity case of Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC,” he said.

If the concerned police officials do not express intention to cooperate, Trillanes said they will be tagged as “suspects” in the case, restricted from travel, and arrested by the INTERPOL.

“This means that if they do not immediately signify their intention to cooperate with the investigators, their status would be elevated to being suspects and, therefore, would result to travel restrictions initially and eventually arrest via Interpol,” he said.

Fajardo said the PNP has no information to confirm if the concerned cops really cooperated with the ICC.

“Ako po personally ay nagtanong sa mga directorates po natin at wala pong information 'yung ating mga directorates concerning po dito sa mga alleged active PNP personnel na nakikipag-tulungan po sa ICC,” she said.

(I personally asked our directorates and they said they have no information concerning the alleged active PNP personnel who are cooperating with the ICC.)

“At nabanggit ko na rin po ito kay Chief PNP at inaalam po natin kung saan po at hindi po natin alam kung ano po 'yung source ni former senator Trillanes,” she added.

(And I have also mentioned this to the Chief PNP and we are looking for the source of former Senator Trillanes.)

Fajardo earlier said the police organization will take instructions from the national government on the matter.

She reiterated that the Philippines has its own working judicial system to address the reports of abuses and irregularities by PNP personnel.

On April 15, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that his administration will not serve any arrest warrant from the ICC against Duterte, pointing out that the international body has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.

"We don't recognize the warrant  that they will send to us...That's a no..We are well within international law when we take the position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines," he said.

In February 2023, Marcos also said he would not cooperate with the investigation as he considers the ICC a threat to Philippine sovereignty.

In 2019, Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, after the tribunal began a probe into his administration's drug war.

More than 6,000 people were killed in Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign, but rights groups say that up to 30,000 may have been killed.—AOL, GMA Integrated News