Calida: Petitioners not entitled to drug war documents
MANILA, Philippines — Solicitor General Jose Calida insisted that petitioners who are seeking the nullification of the government’s drug war are not entitled to police records of investigations into deaths linked to the crackdown on illegal narcotics.
In a chance interview before the oral arguments on the Philippine Law School Admission Test on Tuesday, Calida said that his office fully complied with the Supreme Court order to yield the voluminous drug war documents last year to the tribunal. But he confirmed that they did not give a copy to the petitioners.
"The case is not about the nationwide alleged [extra-judicial killings] so what is the connection between the nationwide statistics and a particular case focusing only on Sta. Ana and two other places," Calida added.
In 2017, two groups of petitioners sought the SC to halt the implementation of Duterte’s war on drugs. Their pleas are centered on killings in San Andres Bukid, Manila and in Baguio.
During the three-day oral arguments, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio ordered Calida to submit all documents pertaining to investigations into police drug war operations from July 1, 2016 to Nov. 30, 2017.
But lawyers from Center for International Law, counsels for the second group of petitioners, asked the SC last week to be allowed access to drug war records as the documents “involve public concern and interest.”
Calida, however, argued that the petitioners are counsels only to specific cases that are allegedly carried out under the drug war, but not killings that cover the entire country.
"They are not entitled to it," he added.
The solicitor general also stressed that some of the incidents included in the documents are still under investigation and should remain confidential.
RELATED: Government to comply with order on drug war
Submission given under one condition
Calida also explained that he opposed the order since the SC is “not trying the entire extra-judicial killings in the Philippines” but he complied with it “out of respect” to Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and the high court under one condition.
“The condition is it should not be given to other parties, they are not involved in this case,” he added.
He also said that after they submitted the documents to the SC, “there was no order that we give to the other parties.”
Asked if this meant that parties should not be given copies of the drug war documents, Calida replied: "What do you think? We did not receive any order."
The International Criminal Court is also looking into several communications alleging crimes against humanity committed by the Duterte administration over the thousands of deaths under its brutal crackdown on drugs.
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