Photo courtesy: Kahimyang Project
A MEMBER of the House of Representatives wants to know if the International Criminal Court (ICC) had the opportunity to speak with officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice in connection with the charges of crimes against humanity leveled against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte before the international tribunal.
As the House Committee on Human Rights hearing on the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during Duterte’s bloody anti-drug war started, Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Raul Angelo “Jil” Bongalon said he is very much interested if the ICC probers were able to talk to law enforcement agencies in the Philippines.
“Isa pa sa mga gusto nating malaman dito ay kung may nakausap na rin po yung ICC na mga PNP officials or DOJ officials patungkol dito sa crimes against humanity, because these charges will be filed against the former administration and also Sen. Bato Dela Rosa was also involved in this case,” Bongalon said during the daily press briefing at the House of Representatives.
“Yun po ‘yung mga gusto nating malaman and mabigyan ng linaw, once and for all, dahil hindi ito nabigyan ng importansya noong nakaraang administration,” he added.
The Human Rights panel chaired by Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante is now conducting hearings on the many resolutions filed in the House in connection with the EJKs during the Duterte administration.
Bongalon also said he wants to know if the PNP and the DOJ did a comprehensive investigation in the bloody drug war of Duterte that killed thousands of Filipinos.
“Isa sa mga dapat na tanong na dapat malaman natin eh kung nagkaroon po ba ng comprehensive investigation dito ang kasama ang DOJ noong nakaraang administrasyon. Dahil nakaka-alarma po ito sapagkat when they attended one of the committee hearings, nagkaroon kasi ng comparison as to the number of cases filed because of these EJKs compared doon sa number of victims,” he said. “So. makikita na natin na napakalayo. The records will bear us out na kokonti pala ang nafi-file-an ng kaso patungkol dito sa madugong laban sa kampanya laban sa droga,” he added.
