After Duterte order, PDEA vows to submit data on illegal drugs to ICC, rights groups

MANILA, Philippines — Following an order from President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Wednesday vowed to send its data on the number of illegal drugs entering the country to human rights organizations and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“As President Rodrigo Roa Duterte previously stated, the PDEA shall act in accordance with his directive to submit an up-to-date report on the volume of seized illegal drugs, most especially methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, in the Philippines to the ICC and local human rights groups,” PDEA said in a statement.

“Rest assured that PDEA is ready, willing, and able to present any appropriate data related to the national anti-drug campaign when solicited,” it added.

Duterte said this after the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber last year allowed the Office of the Prosecutor to do a full-blown investigation into allegations that Duterte committed the crime against humanity of wide-scale murder.

READ: ICC pre-trial chamber authorizes start of probe into Duterte’s drug war

The ICC, however, had “temporarily suspended” the probe while the prosecution “assesses the scope and effect” of the deferral request.

READ: ICC suspends PH drug war probe, warned of Duterte ‘ruse’

Some human rights groups have claimed that the actual number of individuals slain during the drug war can be between 12,000 to 30,000.

A study done by the University of the Philippines (UP) on July 23 revealed that the drug war had killed an estimated two people each day.

READ: Drug war death toll reaches 6,011 as of December 2020 — PDEA

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