he International Criminal Court (ICC) said that Rodrigo Duterte's rights as an accused have been upheld, contrary to the claims by the former president's counsel Salvador Medialdea.
"The arrest is something, a message to the leaders that impunity is not forever."
UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor and Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard have emphasized the importance of this moment for the victims of Duterte's controversial "war on drugs," calling for further accountability and legal action. As Duterte prepares for his initial hearing on March 14, the international community has urged continued efforts to address ongoing human rights violations in the Philippines.
“We will not be swayed. Our loved ones were killed, mercilessly desecrated and it was inhumane. Until now, the situation of the victims’ families is still not good,” Jane Lee, who lost her husband in Duterte’s “war on drugs” said.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines International Office said that Duterte’s crimes are beyond his so-called “war on drugs,” pointing out that his government carried out systematic killings of its peace consultants, aerial bombings of civilian communities, and the torture and execution of captured Red fighters (hors de combat). These, they added, are all in blatant disregard of the laws of war.
Protesters welcome the arrest as a step toward justice for the thousands killed in Duterte’s bloody War on Drugs. Families of extrajudicial killing victims join the demonstration, demanding accountability for the abuses committed under his administration.
“There are mixed emotions among all the families of the victims. We hope that Bato and Go will be included as well. This is the day of reckoning for the powerful Duterte, who mercilessly took the lives of our loved ones."
“The police went on a killing spree because the commander-in-chief was rewarding those who were carrying out the notorious ‘death squad’ template in Davao.”
“Our work in the communities continues. We will seek (for) more families to speak about their case."
We don’t have a next move, that is the extent of our involvement with the ICC. That ends all our involvement with the ICC. Because we will no longer appeal, the appeal has failed and there is, in our view, nothing more that we can do in the government and so at this point we essentially are disengaging from any contact, from any communication with the ICC.”
“It is our prayer that the ICC investigation will ferret out truth and evidence that can bring justice and accountability for the killings of our loved ones."
“In the absence of persuasive reasons in support of ordering suspensive effect, the Appeals Chamber rejects the request. This is without prejudice to its eventual decision on the merits of the Philippines’ appeal against the Impugned Decision."
“This should also serve as a warning to the current regime for essentially continuing Duterte's policies on the drug war.”
“The GovPH argues that its criminal justice system generally functions well, and that certain administrative and other mechanisms may or can result in criminal proceedings. However, nothing in the observations nor in the hundreds of pages of associated annexes substantiates that criminal proceedings actually have been or are being conducted in anything more than a small number of cases."
“Withdrawal from the Rome Statute does not discharge a state party from the obligations it has incurred as a member. Consequently, liability for the alleged summary killings and other atrocities committed in the course of the war on drugs [during the Duterte administration] is not nullified or negated.”
“What can we expect from someone who has shamelessly branded victims of human rights violations — people who have been killed, disappeared, tortured, illegally arrested and detained, among others — during his father’s dictatorial rule as greedy people who are only after money?"
"We hope this is the beginning of the end to impunity. No one should be invincible and infallible. There is always a time for everything.” By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com MANILA – Rights organizations welcomed the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International...
"The State itself is directly involved in planning, implementing and sanctioning widespread human rights violations.”
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