Members of the House of Representatives. —FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Two committees in the House of Representatives have adopted House Resolution (HR) No. 1477, urging the Philippine government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the country’s brutal war on drugs.
During the joint hearing of the House Committee on Justice and Committee on Human Rights on Wednesday, both panels adopted the resolution authored by Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. and 1-Rider Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, in consolidation with HR No. 1393 and HR No. 1482.
HR No. 1393 was filed by ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel last October 17, while HR No. 1482 was filed by Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman last November 21.
It was Lagman who made the motion for the committee on human rights, while Ako Bicol Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon raised a similar motion on the part of the committee on justice.
“On the part of the committee on justice, I move to adopt House Resolution No. 1477 without amendment, in consolidation with House Resolution Nos. 1393 and 1482, and I also move for the approval of the corresponding committee report,” Bongalon said.
“Mr. Joint Chairs, on behalf of the committee on human rights, I move to adopt House Resolution No. 1477 without amendment, in consolidation with House Resolution Nos. 1393 and 1482, and I also move for the approval of the corresponding committee report,” Lagman added.
Abante, chair of the committee on human rights, and Bukidnon, 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, vice chair of the justice panel, approved the respective motions after they were seconded.
After this, Lagman also requested that the committee secretariats coordinate with Senator Risa Hontiveros — who has filed a similar resolution before the Senate — so that both chambers of Congress would pass a concurrent resolution instead.
“Mr. Chair, considering the filing by Senator Hontiveros of a similar resolution in the Senate, I would respectfully request the joint chairs to coordinate with Senator Hontiveros, so we could transform our respective resolutions to a concurrent resolution,” Lagman noted.
The approval came after lengthy discussions on the jurisdiction of the ICC and whether they should be allowed to probe the drug war implemented by former president Rodrigo Duterte.
READ: ICC resumes full-blown probe of Duterte drug war
ICC has started its investigation, but President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration maintained that it would not engage with the international body. However, these three House resolutions have urged the government to start cooperating with the ICC.
READ: Bongbong Marcos: ‘That’s it; we’re done talking with ICC’
Duterte and his former police general, now Senator Ronald dela Rosa are two of the several individuals accused of committing the crime against humanity of mass murder in implementing the drug war.
READ: House starts tackling calls for PH cooperation with ICC
According to government data, over 7,200 individuals have died during the drug war during Duterte’s term; however, human rights organizations claim that the actual death toll may be anywhere between 12,000 to 30,000.
READ: House panels defer talks over reso on PH’s cooperation in ICC probe
In response to the complaints, Duterte declared in March 2018 that the Philippines is leaving the Rome Statute, maintaining that the ICC can no longer investigate as it has no jurisdiction over the country.
Duterte also insisted that he has not done anything that would merit such complaints.