Amnesty International calls on ICC to probe drug war, ‘slaughter’ of children

MANILA, Philippines — It’s high time for the International Criminal Court to step in and investigate the mounting casualties in President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, which has also taken the lives of children, rights watchdog Amnesty International said.

Duterte has stoked international alarm for activating his ferocious anti-drug campaign which has been a hallmark of his three-decade political career.

Human rights monitors said most of the fatalities in the crackdown were extrajudicial killings committed by cops, adding that Duterte could be liable for crimes against humanity for giving police the “license to kill.”

In a statement dated December 4, AI urged the ICC to open a preliminary examination into “crimes against humanity” committed under Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, including the “slaughter of dozens of children.”

The London-based human rights group likewise stressed that Philippine authorities and courts have proven themselves both “unwilling and unable” to prosecute crimes related to the government’s bloody anti-drug campaign.

Duterte and other high-level officials could be held liable under international law for “openly advocating” for killings, AI also said.

“The ICC must open a preliminary examination into the situation and cast its net widely. Responsibility is not just limited to those pulling the trigger, but also those who order or encourage murders and other crimes against humanity,” said James Gomez, AI’s regional director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

“How many bullet-riddled bodies must be found dumped on the streets before the international community takes action?” Gomez added.

Under the ICC’s principle of complementarity that governs the exercise of the court’s jurisdiction, the tribunal can only act if local authorities are unable to prosecute international crimes.

READ: Palace hints at possible Philippines withdrawal from ICC

According to AI, as much as 60 children have been killed in anti-drug operations since Duterte took power, adding that family members claim they witnessed cops shooting children “begging for mercy” at point-blank range.

Not a single police officer has been held to account for any of the crimes committed, AI added.

“Police and armed persons linked to the police have killed dozens of children since 2016. Children have also been tortured and detained in appalling conditions, while families have been torn apart,” Gomez said.

Citing Western criticism over the spate of killings in his anti-narcotic campaign, Duterte last year said he might follow Russia and leave the “useless” ICC.

He said the international court failed to understand the reasons for his drug war as he reiterated that police are only killing in self-defense.

This was after the ICC's chief prosecutor warned that Philippine officials could face the court for alleged state-sponsored summary executions in the drug war.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday resumed its hearing via oral arguments the petitions challenging the constitutionality of Duterte's war on drugs. This was the first time the crime-busting leader’s controversial anti-drug drive was brought to the high court.

READ: SC tackles drug war: Were rights violated?