MANILA – The International Criminal Court (ICC) is urging individuals with knowledge of crimes committed during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs” to reach out to the Hague-based tribunal.
In a public notice over the weekend, the ICC called on potential witnesses to share information about alleged crimes against humanity — including killings, torture, and sexual violence — that occurred between June 2016 and March 2019.
The tribunal also addressed its appeal to members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies who were involved in the anti-illegal drug operations.
The ICC made a website where interested witnesses may provide information anonymously, but asked users to fill out a form with their contact details, including a phone number and email address.
Witnesses also must specify their affiliation — whether they are members of the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), local government units, or are victims or witnesses to a crime.
The ICC also asked if witnesses have any evidence — whether in the form of documents, video recordings, or audio evidence — related to the crimes. The website also asks witnesses for a code word that the ICC would provide after initial contact to verify that they are communicating directly with the court.
Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Rome Statute — the treaty that established the ICC — in 2018, with the withdrawal taking effect in 2019, after the tribunal began a preliminary probe into his administration’s drug war.
Duterte’s successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has been firm in his stance that he will not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC over the Philippines./PN
