MANILA, Philippines – The International Criminal Court (ICC) will release its decision on the Philippine government’s appeal seeking to stop the investigation into killings in Davao City and under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
The decision will be read out by the appeals chamber on Tuesday, July 18, at 4 pm Manila time (10 am The Hague time).
The Philippine government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. filed an appeal against the investigation, stating that the probe lacks a legal foundation and “would encroach on the sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines.” ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, however, argued that the Philippine government failed to prove any error in the court’s earlier decision to resume the probe.
If the appeals chamber decides in favor of the Philippine government, Khan’s office has to close its investigation. If the decision goes against the appeal, the prosecutor may start to request for an arrest warrant if it finds sufficient grounds to do so – if it hasn’t made such a request yet.
The upcoming decision is the latest development in the quest for justice for the thousands of drug war victims. Government data show that at least 6,252 people have died at the hands of the police during anti-illegal drug operations as of May 31, 2022. This tally does not include victims of vigilante-style killings, which human rights groups estimate to be as many as 30,000.
Bookmark this page to catch the livestream on Tuesday, 4 pm!
Read these stories to know more about the International Criminal Court and Duterte’s war on drugs:
- ICC’s nearing next move on the Philippines: A mix of hope, reality check
- TIMELINE: The International Criminal Court and Duterte’s bloody war on drugs
- Duterte’s violent war on drugs, as recorded by rights groups, int’l bodies
- Under Marcos, can Duterte be held accountable for drug war killings?
- Fear, harassment push drug war victims’ families to pin their hopes on ICC
- Marcos admits ‘abuses by certain elements in gov’t’ in Duterte’s drug war
- More killings, no justice: Navigating continued impunity from Duterte to Marcos
– Rappler.com
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