An attempted appeal by the Philippines government to block an investigation by prosecutors into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has been rejected at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC Judge, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut in a ruling on Tuesday in the Hague, paved way for proper investigation into the killings going on in Philippine over Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
The choice was made after the ICC in January said it will resume investigation into any “crimes against humanity” committed under Duterte.
According to police data, since Duterte took office in 2016 and launched his campaign, thousands of extrajudicial killings of suspected drug offenders has been recorded
A lawyer representing some victim’s families Kristina Conti, tweeted that victim’s of the campaign has always prayed for justices that has not been available for the poor and powerless in the country, expecting a fair judgment by the ICC.
Duterte and his successor under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have pushed back against the investigation, pulling the country’s membership from the ICC after the court began probing his drug war.
Notwithstanding the withdrawal, the court said it will continue to keep jurisdiction over crimes committed during the membership period of the state between 2016 and 2019.
However, Philippine’s Justice Secretary, Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government will not follow through with arrest warrants ordered by the ICC if it continues with the investigation, stressing that the country has its own legal system to handle drug crimes.
