THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has officially begun investigating former President Rodrigo Duterte following his controversial admissions during a recent House Quad Committee (QuadComm) hearing, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed on Monday.
“Yes, our task force is doing that,” Remulla stated in an ambush interview. “I was just talking to the head of the task force earlier.” The task force, composed of prosecutors and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, was formed to probe extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte’s infamous war on drugs.
During the QuadComm hearing last week, Duterte admitted to killing at least six individuals during his tenure as mayor of Davao City and claimed responsibility for the deaths of several corrupt police officers.
When asked whether the DOJ’s investigation would include Duterte’s alleged actions as Davao mayor, Remulla acknowledged that the inquiry could potentially overlap with the ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“We have to choose our strategy later on. If this overlaps with the ICC, we’ll choose our strategy,” he explained.
Overlapping Investigations
The ICC is investigating the Duterte administration’s drug war and alleged extrajudicial killings tied to the Davao Death Squad during his time as mayor. Despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC, Remulla emphasized the importance of complementarity between domestic and international proceedings.
“We want the charges to be separate from each other. What we charge here and what the ICC charges have to, if possible, not overlap. Even if we are not members of the ICC, the spirit of complementarity still applies,” he said.
The DOJ is also considering the application of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in their probe. “IHL is what we are targeting right now because it is the law that the ICC is studying and also the law we have here,” Remulla added.
Duterte’s Legal Counsel Responds
Atty. Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s former chief presidential legal counsel, dismissed the investigation as political propaganda.
“If they have the evidence, they should just file the case. They are just engaged in relentless propaganda to besmirch his reputation,” Panelo said in a statement.
A Human Rights Crisis
Official government records indicate that around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during Duterte’s anti-drug operations. However, human rights groups estimate the death toll could be as high as 30,000, including unreported cases.
The DOJ’s investigation signals an unprecedented legal challenge for the former president, as domestic and international bodies scrutinize the controversial policies of his administration.