EDITORIAL - Closer to justice?

Relatives of the thousands of people who were killed in the course of the brutal campaign against the drug scourge are feeling closer to justice these days. Let’s hope that this doesn’t turn out to be a chimera.

The Marcos administration, citing the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court, has maintained that the Philippine government will not cooperate with the ICC in its probe of possible murder as a crime against humanity. The ICC believes the offense was committed in the brutal crackdown on the drug menace that was carried out by Rodrigo Duterte during his presidency and when he was mayor of Davao City.

While the government will not cooperate with the ICC, however, it will not stop the ICC from building a case against those responsible for thousands of killings that the Duterte administration claimed were part of legitimate law enforcement operations. Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra confirmed this week that the ICC had notified the Philippine government, through the country’s embassy in the Netherlands, that five former and active police officials had been named as “suspects” in the crimes against humanity case.

Suspects would have to be arrested, but how can this happen if the Philippine government says the ICC has no jurisdiction in the country? Yesterday, the government presented a way – through the International Criminal Police Organization. The Philippines is a member of the Interpol and is committed to cooperate with it. The ICC has reportedly requested the Interpol to place the five suspects on a “blue list” – meaning the five can be held for ICC questioning if they leave the Philippines for a country that is among the 196 member states of the Interpol.

If the ICC orders the arrest of a suspect and courses it through the Interpol, the order can be carried out right in the Philippines. Being a member state, the Philippines must assist the Interpol in carrying out its mandate, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.

An ICC lawyer had earlier said an arrest order is expected soon for Duterte. The five other “suspects” are Duterte’s former Philippine National Police chiefs Ronald dela Rosa and Oscar Albayalde, retired police Col. Edilberto Leonardo who is now a commissioner of the National Police Commission, Northern Luzon police commander Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. who was the Bulacan police chief when 32 drug suspects were killed within just 24 hours in the province in 2017, and Brig. Gen. Eleazar Mata, currently head of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group.

Is justice possible? The government must ensure that it does not turn out to be a false hope.