MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) was open to possible investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on alleged extrajudicial killings in the country should a request by the ICC prosecutor for judicial authorization lead to it, according to the chief of the PNP.
But PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is at the forefront of the steps being taken by the Philippine government to answer the allegations in ICC.
“The issue about ICC, that is international affairs and the DFA is there to answer the issues about that,” Eleazar, talking in Filipino, told reporters at a press conference.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he will never cooperate with the ICC on any investigation on the bloody campaign against drugs that he launched almost immediately after assuming office in 2016.
Eleazar said PNP actions are governed by rules and regulations and internal guidelines.
“We work on evidence,” he said. “We are open for investigation,” Eleazar said.
“Right now we are concentrated on our jobs. We, however, see that justice in our country is operating,” he said.
“There are policemen who were charged, there are policemen who have been dismissed,” Eleazar said. “Isn’t it so all of these things are under existing rules and regulations that PNP is abiding with its internal procedures,” he said.
Official figures said that more than 7,000 people have been killed in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign but human rights groups said they believed the number was several times higher.