PNP: Internal investigation, DOJ review enough for 'drug war' accountability
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police said there is no need for the International Criminal Court to look into deaths related to the "war on drugs" since it is already reviewing its own personnel for possible lapses in anti-narcotics operations.
In a briefing on Monday, Police Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., PNP chief, said domestic proceedings are enough for accountability in case of abuses in the "war on drugs" of the Duterte administration. The Hague-based ICC last week said that it had authorized the reopening of an inquiry into the brutal anti-drugs campaign — an inquiry that the Philippine government has consistently rejected as unnecessary and without jurisdiction.
"The PNP encourages the ICC to respect the Philippines' sovereignty and acknowledge the capacity of the Philippines' judicial system," Azurin said in prepared comments.
Azurin, whose agency has been collecting courtesy resignations from police officials to help clean its leadership of drug links, said the Philippines has "a robust, efficient and functioning criminal justice system."
Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, who had called on police colonels and generals to submit courtesy resignations, said this month that the move is a "shortcut" to the standard procedure of filing cases in court against allegedly corrupt cops.
Azurin said there are active investigations into deaths related to anit-narcotics operations. Agencies involved in the "war on drugs" had insisted that "drug personalities" killed in operations had violently resisted arrest.
A review by the Department of Justice of some of the cases found lapses in protocol and in verifying whether the personalities killed were even armed. The review has also led to prosecution in court as well as the filing of administrative cases, he said.
Azurin said in Filipino that of around 300 case folders sent to the DOJ, "they filed complaints in 52 cases," although the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber, in authorizing the resumption of the probe, noted that 302 cases under review "is very low when compared with the estimated number of killings that allegedly occurred in the context of ‘war on drugs.'"
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Review continues
The PNP chief said that the police have been "fully cooperating with the DOJ in reviewing cases" and that the Internal Affairs Service continues to investigate cases as well. The PNP has also been addressing "internal discipline issues," he said.
"That is why we don't see any reason why the ICC would come in," he also said. "The investigations have been continuing in tandem with the DOJ."
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in a GMA News interview over the weekend that the government can seek accountability for drug-related deaths on its own.
"We have our own judicial system. If they want to prosecute someone, let them show the evidence, provide this to us and we will prosecute because we have the responsibility over our country," he said.
Kin of those who were killed in the "war on drugs" have disagreed with the government's position, saying domestic procedures have failed to bring justice for the deaths of their loved ones.
RELATED: DOJ review finds lapses in 'drug war' ops commonly punished with suspension
The Pre-Trial Chamber, a judicial branch under the ICC, also said last week that "domestic proceedings in the Philippines thus do not sufficiently mirror the expected scope of the Court’s investigation, since they only address the physical, low-ranking perpetrators and at present do not extend to any high-ranking officials."
Police officers convicted for the 2017 murder of Kian delos Santos during an anti-narcotics operation had the ranks of patrolman and police staff sergeant. Another convicted for torture and planting of evidence in the killings — also in 2017 — of teenagers Carl Arnaiz and Reynaldo "Kulot" de Guzman had the rank of patrolman. — Jonathan de Santos
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