Rappler Recap: ICC junks PH govt’s appeal vs drug war probe. What’s next?

MANILA, Philippines – The International Criminal Court on Tuesday, July 18, dismissed the appeal lodged by the Philippine government that sought to block the continuation of an investigation into Davao City killings and other drug war-related deaths under former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Presiding Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut said the ICC appeals chamber decided by a majority, which found that “the pre-trial chamber did not err in law” as alleged by the Philippine government under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

In this episode, Rappler justice reporter Jairo Bolledo and human rights researcher-writer Jodesz Gavilan talk about the ICC decision, the next steps, and its impact on the quest for justice of victims’ families.

The appeals chamber’s is the latest development in relation to the ICC and Duterte’s war on drugs, which began when then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in 2016 said her office was monitoring what was happening in the Philippines.

The violent drug war, according to government data, left at least 6,252 people dead at the hands of the police during anti-illegal drug operations as of May 31, 2022. This death toll excludes victims of vigilante-style killings, which, according to human rights groups, pulls the number up to around 30,000. – Rappler.com