00:00Former President Rodrigo Duterte can be charged with war on drugs by his administration.
00:09This is what Harley Valbuena reported.
00:13Aside from the International Criminal Court,
00:15the former President Rodrigo Duterte can also be charged with war on drugs.
00:23According to the law expert, Atty. Domingo Cayosa,
00:26there is an existing Philippine law that punishes crimes against humanity.
00:32This is Republic Act No. 9851 that was passed in 2009.
00:38Cayosa said that the significance of crimes against humanity in the law
00:43is the same as what is stated in the Rome Statute of the ICC.
00:47That's why Duterte can be charged under this law.
00:50We actually have Republic Act No. 9851
00:56which penalizes crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide.
01:02Very similar to the crimes that are within the jurisdiction of the ICC.
01:11When asked why Duterte's case reached the ICC,
01:16he said that he can file a case here in the Philippines.
01:19Cayosa said that many victims filed their cases,
01:24but they were left out.
01:26We have accounts, documental accounts,
01:29of families of victims who went to the police for investigation.
01:33They went to the fiscal,
01:35they went to government agencies in charge of the criminal justice system,
01:40but nothing happened.
01:42They were just circled,
01:44they were arrested,
01:45they were issued,
01:46that's why they were not filed.
01:48At the moment,
01:49Bayan Muna Chairman Nery Colmenares
01:52is the legal counsel of the IJK Victims.
01:55He said that the victims' fear during Duterte's time was really high.
02:00Although Duterte has immunity in local cases during his time as president,
02:04he doesn't have immunity
02:06when it comes to the crimes that happened during his time as mayor of Davao City,
02:10including the murders committed by the Umanoy Davao Death Squad,
02:15as well as the murders in which he was arrested by the ICC.
02:20In addition,
02:21Colmenares said that they were open to filing other cases in the country,
02:26not only Duterte,
02:27but also his former police generals.
02:31It's possible.
02:32In fact, what I want to file there,
02:34aside from President Duterte,
02:36are his generals,
02:38those who implemented it,
02:40of course, those who pulled the trigger.
02:42Even if the local cases continue,
02:44Colmenares said,
02:45they are asking for the help of the current government
02:48to access the documents related to the murders in the war on drugs.
02:53He still needs to strengthen the feelings of the victims' families
02:57who, until now,
02:58still feel the intense fear.
03:01Even now, they are afraid.
03:03Because the police who did it were still there,
03:06active service.
03:08In fact, I talked to someone in Cebu who said,
03:11I can still see the police who killed my son.
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