The Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) expresses its strong opposition and grave concern over any proposal or consideration for the interim release of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who remains under active investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity arising from the thousands of killings perpetrated during the so-called “war on drugs.”

The Philippines Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) responding to the news that the Philippines Government though the Depeartment of Justice (DOJ) is open to limiited cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) into alleged crimes against humanity committed under the “war on drugs”, Dr. Aurora Parong, Co-Chairperson and Spokesperson of PCICC said:”The openness of the Department of Justice to talk with the ICC and look at possible areas of cooperation for justice is long overdue. This should be fast tracked towards complete Philippine cooperation with the ICC for the sake of the victims and their families. Justice must be delivered both in the Philippines and at the international level. We hope the possibility of US sanctions against the ICC will not affect the effort to deliver justice here and at the ICC.

Responding to news that Representatives Bienvenido Abante and Ramon Gutierrez filed House Resolution 1477, urging Philippine government agencies to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in conducting an investigation into possible crimes against humanity in the campaign against drugs, Dr. Aurora Parong, Co-Chairperson of the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) said:

PCICC responding to Malacañan Palace’s statement on the OTP request to the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber to resume probe in the Philippines, Atty. Ray Paolo J. Santiago, PCICC spokesperson said:

Responding to the news that International Criminal Court Prosecutor granted the Philippine government’s request to defer its investigation into the situation in the Philippines, Dr. Aurora Parong, Philippine Coalition on the International Criminal Court (PCICC) Co-Chairperson said:

Responding to the statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, following judicial authorization to commence an investigation into the situation in the Philippines, PCICC Co-Chairperson and Spokesperson, Dr. Aurora Parong said:

PCICC responding to Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s statement on 18 March that there is ‘uncontroverted proof that domestic legal and judicial processes are functioning normally in our country’ in welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss plea seeking to declare as invalid the Philippine withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Atty. Ray Paolo J. Santiago, PCICC spokesperson said:

On the International Criminal Court’s release of its Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2020, stating that the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) anticipates reaching a decision on whether to seek authorization to open an investigation into the situation in the Philippines in the first half of 2021, Philippine Coalition on the International Criminal Court (PCICC) spokesperson, Dr. Aurora Parong, said:

Responding to the news of ICC’s appointment legal representatives for the victim of the “war on drugs”, PCICC Co-Chairpersons, Atty. Arpee Santiago and Dr. Aurora Parong, said:

Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC)

The conviction of a Police Colonel Dante Lubos who killed Ryan Dave Almora in his home in 2016 in the context of the drug war is a welcome development, though it came 9 years after the crime was committed. Convictions remain limited to a few cases, with no one so far involving killings in Visayas and Mindanao.

The Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) welcomes the House Quad Committee’s recommendation to prosecute Former President Duterte and other high officials of the government who have been responsible for the systematic and massive extrajudicial killings in our country.