Philippines' drug war under international scrutiny

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) says it has jurisdiction to prosecute those responsible for thousands of extrajudicial deaths in the Philippines' war on drugs.

"I am deeply concerned by the allegations of killings and public statements from senior Philippine officials that appear to condone such killings," Reuters quoted ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda as saying on October 15.

The Philippines joined the ICC (headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands) in November 2011. Ms. Bensouda said extrajudicial killings could be prosecuted by the ICC if it was found to be "part of a widespread or systematic attack against a person".

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte continued to defy the international community on October 13 by publicly criticizing those who oppose his war on drugs. Mr. Duterte called US President Barack Obama, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations "idiots" and said he would embarrass them if they continued to question his campaign.

A policeman clashes with civilians during a drug raid in the Philippines. Photo: Reuters.

“Many of the dead were killed in accordance with police procedures, which are being investigated under the direction of the police,” Andanar added. Meanwhile, Duterte’s presidential secretary, Martin Andanar, said Duterte was “more willing than anyone else to be investigated.”

More than 3,500 people have died in the anti-drug campaign launched by the Philippine president since he took office in June.

The International Criminal Court was established in 1998 under the Rome Statute. It is the highest court that will intervene when it finds that a state is unwilling or unable to prosecute crimes listed in the statute, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

According to Zing.vn