The relatives of the war on drugs went to the CPI because the PH justice system failed – Remulla del Labor

The Filipina Justice System ruled in the cases of alleged extrajudicial murders in the War of the Duterte Administration against drugs and the families of the victims had to go to the International Criminal Court to seek justice, Secretary of Justice Jesús Crispin “Boying” Remulla said Thursday.

At a Senate hearing on the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte about an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, Remulla said that the loved ones of the victims had nowhere to run in the country “for a long time.”

“The cases we are talking about were presented by their families at the ICC because they could not obtain justice in the country. I think that is something that nobody wants to recognize, that there was a failure of our justice system for a long time,” said Remulla.

“They had to file their case in the icc to get an attention at all from Anybody Who Caled Becouse for The Large Time, Itong Mga Biktim do’n sila pumunta sa icc, ”I add.

(For a long time, the families of the victims who died had nowhere to go, so they went to the CPI).

GMA News Online is receiving comments from Justice and Police officers of the Duterte Administration and will publish them as soon as they are available.

To the questions of Senator IMEE Marcos, the president of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Remulla answered affirmatively when asked about the failure of the Justice System, a situation that makes the participation of the International Criminal Court necessary.

“Opo, Nu’ng Panahon Na ‘Yon,” said Remulla.

“Nagkaro’n tayo ng Problem Nung Panahon Na Yun Na Hindi Ho Talaga Maimbestigahan Nang Maayos Kasi Pati Ho Ang Piskal Tinatakot Po Nung Pulis Nung Nung Panahon Na Yun, Eh,” he added.

(Yes, there was at that time. We had a problem at that time because investigations could not be done correctly because the police intimidated prosecutors).

The Senate Panel held the audience to analyze the circumstances of the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who faces charges of crimes against humanity in relation to the murders under the war of his drug administration.

Duterte on March 11 was arrested by an order issued by the International Criminal Court and has since been arrested in the Penitentiary of The Hague.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has said that the Filipino government did not help the ICC because the country left the court in 2019. However, the Government had to honor the commitments with Interpol to attend to the arrest warrant issued by the CPI.

“Mas Maayos Ngayon Sapagkat Sinisugurado Namin Na Ang piskal in Ang Pulis Ay Magkasama Na Mag-Imbestiga Ng Mga Krimen. Hindi na Ho Katulad Ng Dati,” he said Remulla as a respect for the justice system now.

(The situation is better now because we make sure that prosecutors and the police are aligned in investigating the crime. It is no longer as before).

Imee Marcos asked why cases did not appear in the country now if the situation has improved.

Remulla said the government had no control over families that sought help from the ICC.

The deaths reached around 6,000 based on police records, but human rights groups argue that the deaths were up to 30,000, including vigilant murders.

According to Remulla, there came a time when nothing happened in cases of extrajudicial murders in the country, therefore, the difficulty in investigating the war on drugs.

He also said that some of the families had gone to the ICC even before Duterte became president in 2016.

“Hindi Sila Nagpunta Roon Nung 3 years ago Lang. Nagpunta Sila Roon 8 or 9 years ago, Andon Na Po Sila. Kasi Marami Ho Dito, ‘Yung Mga Nangyari SA Davao, Mayor of Nung, Pa Si (Ex) President Duterte,” he explained.

(They were not there only 3 years ago. They were there 8 or 9 years ago. Many of them were cases in Davao, Whenduterte was still mayor).

Remulla said the investigation showed that there are no police reports in alleged unfair death situations during the war on drugs.

He said that the forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun was also consulted on the matter, revealing discrepancies in the victims of death certificates.

“When he investigated the unjust death situation, the death certificate indicated a cardiac arrest as the cause of death. But in the autopsy, there were gunshot holes in the head,” said Remulla.

“When we observed the records of unfair death situations, there were really no police reports. Maybe 95% had no police reports,” he added.

The Secretary of the Interior, Juanito Victor, “Jonvic” Remulla suggested that the Senate also investigated the alleged discrepancies in the death certificates of the victims of the war on drugs.

“Why don’t the Senate try to investigate that and investigate the circumstances surrounding that? Maybe, Madam can find a more cohesive report on this matter,” Jonvic said Remulla to Imee Marcos.

“Has the Senate tried to investigate deaths due to cardiac arrest but with gunshot holes in the head?”

Earlier on Thursday, Boying Remulla categorically declared that the Filipino government has never spoken with the ICC, which issued an arrest warrant against Duterte. –NB, integrated news from GMA