Drug-related deaths believe to reach over 20,000
TACLOBAN CITY-Families of victims from the drug war during Rodrigo Duterte’s administration are finding renewed hope as the International Criminal Court (ICC) advances its investigation.
“Yes, I am hopeful that with the ICC’s involvement, the victims of the drug war, especially our relatives, will finally receive justice,” said ‘Belinda’ (not her real name), whose uncle was killed during a 2019 drug raid in Leyte.
Belinda, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, explained that her family did not pursue legal action against the government’s anti-drug operatives due to financial constraints.
“This is the fate of poor people—they are killed without cause and without recourse,” she told Leyte Samar Daily Express.
Belinda expressed relief upon learning that the ICC has sought the Philippine government’s assistance in interviewing individuals connected to Duterte’s “drug war” campaign.
On July 30, 2024, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV revealed that an incumbent Philippine senator and four top police officials were placed on the “Blue Notice” list of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) at the request of the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor.
“It seems the Blue Notice is just one step in the ICC’s process. While it’s too early to say if this will result in justice for the thousands of ‘drug war’ victims, it certainly sends a message to abusive law enforcers: there will be a time of reckoning,” said Carlos Conde, senior researcher at New York-based Human Rights Watch.
“The ICC appears serious in pursuing its investigation. The Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration should fully cooperate with the court’s inquiry,” Conde added in a report by the Catholic news site UCA News.
According to Interpol, a “Blue Notice” is issued “to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation.”
Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla reportedly stated that the Philippine government cannot prevent Interpol from serving warrants of arrest on individuals implicated in the ICC’s probe.
Various human rights organizations estimate that over 20,000 suspected drug personalities were killed during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
(RONALD O. REYES)
