Bato: ‘Politically motivated’ ICC probe into drug war a ‘trap’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ top cop on Saturday condemned the International Criminal Court’s decision to open an examination into President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war, saying the Hague court’s move was “politically motivated.”

Malacañang last week said the ICC would conduct a “preliminary examination”—the first formal step the court takes to determine whether Duterte’s bloody anti-narcotic drive meets the legal criteria established by the Rome Statute to warrant investigation by the ICC.

READ: ICC prosecutor outlines review of allegations over Philippines' drug war

But Duterte, who is notorious for his defiance of international pressure, had downplayed the ICC’s probe into his war on drugs while questioning whether the tribunal had jurisdiction to indict him.

Asked about his willingness to submit drug war data to the ICC, Philippine National Police chief Director-General Ronald dela Rosa said the force would be “transparent but not to the extent that we will fall into their trap.”

He said the PNP will seek advice from the police force’s “legal service.”

“Nagsimula yan dahil sa paninira. So politically motivated na tapos ngayon ikaw bigay ka lang nang bigay hanggang papasok ka sa trap nila (The ICC investigation started because of efforts to malign the government. So it’s politically motivated and they want us to give in to their demands until we fall into their trap),” Dela Rosa told reporters.

“Mahirap na kung mag-commit kami nang mag-commit yun pala pinapasok lang kami sa lungga ng mga anti-Duterte forces na yun naman talaga ang kanilang purpose is to bring down the Duterte administration (It would be difficult if we would just commit to participate in the probe only for us to just end up in the lair of anti-Duterte forces whose only purpose is to bring down the administration),” he added.

“Di naman kami ganon katanga rin na papasok lang sa kanilang bitag (We’re not that foolish to just fall into their trap).”

‘Full independence’

Duterte has stoked international alarm for activating his ferocious anti-drug campaign which has been a hallmark of his three-decade political career.

Human rights watchdogs say most of the fatalities in the crackdown were extrajudicial killings committed by cops, adding that Duterte could be liable for crimes against humanity for giving police the “license to kill.”

Last April, lawyer Jude Josue Sabio filed a communication before the ICC, titled "The Situation of Mass Murder in the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte: Mass Murderer.”

READ: Matobato lawyer welcomes ICC preliminary examination into drug war

Sabio is the counsel of Edgar Matobato, a man who had testified in the Senate that he was part of a hit squad that operated on Duterte’s orders.

Citing Western criticism over the conduct of his bloody anti-narcotic campaign, Duterte in 2016 said he might follow Russia and leave the “useless” ICC.

He said the international court failed to understand the reasons for his drug war as he reiterated that police are only killing in self-defense.

In a statement issued last week, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda stressed the examination would be done with “full independence and impartiality in accordance with its mandate and the applicable legal instruments of the court.”

She said the ICC would analyze crimes allegedly committed by the Duterte administration since July 1, 2016 in the context of his war on drugs.