52 drug war cases just the tip of the iceberg — Colmenares

MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna chairperson and senatorial aspirant Neri Colmenares on Wednesday said that the Justice Department’s findings on the 52 cases linked to the government’s war against illegal drugs is “just the tip of the iceberg.”

This came after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released details of the 52 drug-related cases they are reviewing, for the first time.

“What the DOJ revealed is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of incidents that need a deeper build-up to create an airtight case before the courts,” said Colmenares in a statement on Wednesday.

“All eyes are on the Duterte administration now the investigations on these deadly irregularities continue even as the International Criminal Court conducts its own inquiry,” he added.

According to Colmenares, the information the DOJ released confirmed the Philippine National Police’s abuse of power in conducting operations under President Rodrigo Duterte’s “brutal” drug war.

“But more importantly, the 52 cases, and there are definitely more, only show that the drug war is not the success the Duterte administration paints it to be,” said Colmenares.

He then promised that the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), who he is currently the chairman of, will continue to monitor these developments and aid witnesses and the victims’ families who wish to come forward.

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