Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is afraid.
That’s the signal he sent last week by announcing that the Philippines will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) “effective immediately.” Duterte sought to justify the withdrawal by suggesting that the ICC’s move last month to launch a preliminary examination into killings linked to the Philippine government’s “war on drugs” had violated the principles of “due process and the presumption of innocence.”
But behind Duterte’s bluster about being “appalled” by the ICC’s concern about an anti-drug campaign that has killed thousands of people, including dozens of children, is his palpable fear that he and senior government officials will inevitably face justice for their role in those deaths.
Duterte has good reason to be afraid of being implicated in possible crimes against humanity for inciting and instigating “drug war” killings. His outspoken vow to embark on a nationwide killing campaign against drug dealers and drug users was the foundation of a presidential electoral platform that swept him into office. At his inauguration on June 30, 2016, he told the Philippine public, “If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful.” That could constitute incitement to commit murder.
Duterte has repeatedly called for the Philippine National Police to target suspected drug users and dealers with extrajudicial violence, which could be considered instigating law enforcement to commit murder. In August 2016 he warned suspected drug dealers: “My order is shoot to kill you. I don’t care about human rights, you better believe me.” In April 2017, Duterte welcomed a returning group of overseas Filipino workers by telling them, “If you lose your job, I’ll give you one. Kill all the drug addicts.”
Duterte’s consistent messaging of targeting suspected drug dealers and users has not fallen on deaf ears. Since taking office, his anti-drug campaign has resulted in more than 12,000 deaths. And the killings continue. Duterte and some of his key ministers have praised the killings as proof of the “success” of the campaign and urged police to “seize the momentum.”
Research by Human Rights Watch and others has exposed a damning pattern of unlawful police conduct designed to paint a veneer of legality over “drug war” summary executions
However, research by Human Rights Watch and others has exposed a damning pattern of unlawful police conduct designed to paint a veneer of legality over “drug war” summary executions. In response, Duterte and Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa have in effect institutionalized impunity for police involvement in summary killings. Dela Rosa has dismissed calls for independent investigations into police drug war killings as “legal harassment” and said that the demand “dampens the morale” of police officers. In August, Duterte vowed to “pardon and promote” any police personnel implicated in unlawful killings.
Duterte has also sought to systematically eliminate meaningful opposition to the drug war carnage. In August, Duterte encouraged police attacks against human rights groups and advocates, instructing police to shoot them “if they are obstructing justice.” Duterte has publicly condemned the official Commission on Human Rights, even threatening to abolish the constitutionally mandated body. He also repeatedly subjected the UN’s expert on extrajudicial killings, Agnes Callamard, to profanity-laced ridicule for her repeated efforts to secure an official visit to the Philippines.
Senator Leila de Lima, former chair of the human rights commission and secretary of justice, has been jailed since February 2017 on politically motivated drug charges as an apparent reprisal for her outspoken opposition to the drug war carnage. As international pressure for accountability for those deaths has risen in recent months, the Duterte government has adopted a tactic of denial and distraction to impugn the integrity of drug war critics.
Duterte is apparently hoping that announcing the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC will end any chance of being tried in The Hague. He should think again. Even if the Philippine government formally notifies the United Nations secretary-general of its withdrawal from the ICC – which Duterte’s statement did not do – withdrawal will only officially go into effect one year later. Even then, the court can still prosecute any international crimes committed while the Philippines was still an ICC member.
Duterte’s craven efforts to dodge ICC scrutiny should only heighten the urgency for a separate, United Nations-led probe into his drug war calamity. At the current session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Iceland’s foreign minister, reminded the council of its responsibility to “to try and ensure the Philippines meets its human rights obligations.” A UN inquiry would add to the international pressure on the Duterte government to stop the killings and to cooperate with efforts to bring those responsible to justice, including before the ICC.
Duterte won the 2016 presidential election in the Philippines with the slogan “Change is coming.” As he faces the increasing likelihood of an international investigation into the “drug war,” Duterte clearly now dreads the likelihood that justice is coming.
Phelim Kine is the deputy director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch
Interesting article to reas if this were a soap opera. Now lets get back to real world. Nobody touched the Marcoses in thirty years since their fall from grace, and now they are once again rising prominently. The UN once named a Mugabe, an african dictator and human rights violator a goddwill ambasador. oh the list goes on and on.
DOn’t get me wrong, I think Duterte should pay for his part in the murders, but it isn’t the ICC whos going to do it.
Thank God our President Duterte in the Philippines withdraw the ICC.1rst all you accused of our President all lies.nothing happened here.and the accusers are all the one doing it.and all are corrupt.as what our President said ICC also corrupt.meaning the accusers are paying the ICC.our President never afraid of anyone.He just know the truth of ICC corruption.God will punished those corrupt people and specially to those not submissive to our government.Romans 13:1-5.
We love our President RODRIGO ROA DUTERTE … THE BEST EVER????
you foreigners are more concerned about the killing of the criminals by the law enforcers over that of some cold blooded murders and rapes by drug addicts and criminals. MOST OF US FIILIPINOS favor the way our President is handling these anti drug enforcements by the authorities. Mind your own country do not mind ours.
Geric Mamon he he he wise move he really do the math in UN security council ha ha ha
Mecker Judulang :we know that u as a drug dealer u will support the nonsenses of ur fellow wicked Americans whose intentions is make sure that the whole world is corrupt like them.THIEVES!!!!
Well I dont hear before dozens of children killed from this campaign against drugs? Check your facts. The oppositions bec of desperately wanting back their "thrones" , they are seeking support from international community by sending wrong information to destroy the credibility of the President. Purely politics and turning the table!! Decades that they manipulate and brain wash the Pilipino people and as a matter of fact they are just taking advantage of the power that they have for their personal agendas. The evidence? Until now we belong to Third Word Countries because of that political party!! Now Duterte is here, he heard us, he is one of us! Nobody can stop his mission for our country!
Well I dont hear before dozens of children killed from this campaign against drugs? Check your facts. The oppositions bec of desperately wanting back their "thrones" , they are seeking support from international community by sending wrong information to destroy the credibility of the President. Purely politics and turning the table!! Decades that they manipulate and brain wash the Pilipino people and as a matter of fact they are just taking advantage of the power that they have for their personal agendas. The evidence? Until now we belong to Third Word Countries because of that political party!! Now Duterte is here, he heard us, he is one of us! Nobody can stop his mission for our country!
Mr. Kine what were your findings in China when you were there? Did you report about the human rights violations in North Korea, Myanmar, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia? Pres. Duterte was elected by the majority of Filipinos who believe in his style of governance…we need a very strong and firm leader to enforce the law. Good people get killed and children were raped, illegal gambling and various criminal syndicates and corruption flourish during the term of inutile yellow government…what did you do then? You press people see nothing, hear nothing and do nothing in exchange for huge monetary reward from your crooked patrons. You cannot get anything from Tatay Digong even a banana cue as paconsuelo de bobo! So pwede ba don’t write your bullshit piece coz PDU30 is the only leader of this land who has balls to do what is best for our country..
If phillipines president Rodrigo Roa Duterte has to faced the International Court of Justice for alledged crime against humanity for trying to get rid for good his own country perennial Drug problems, how about the United States, who always self proclaimed herself as champion of democracy and rule based international order, but under unproven pretexts physically invaded sovereign weak nations like Iraq,Iran,Libya, Serbia and in process, toppled their legitimate governments, killed their govt leaders,destroyed their people?when will US presidents responsible for such horrors and genocidal crimes like Bush be hailed to international war crime tribunals like the Nazi war criminals?we never even heared slightest whimpers UN human rights commission against them,Why? Your guesses are as good as any one
Rubish
Tell it to the MARINEs
Birador Elmer you maybe a drug dealer or an addict so you hate our president Duterte so go to hell because we dutertards will protect him till our breath ends
you are so worried of deaths if the drug lords is that the priority of your organization how about the children that their lives were destroyed by drugs chikdren being rape killed becausr they are under the influence of drugs does there lives doesnt matter to your organization .our president speaks the language that the criminals understand but you human rights take it literally .you dont really care about our people dont interfere as you dont understand whats happening in our country you have already judge our president because you have bern fes eith wrong information or you just base your jidgement on what you have read poor you thats how low your level of iQ im glad our president doesnt respect youbecause you dignify protect criminals we will defend our president wharever consequences it takes remember that you dont what your talking