STATEMENT OF SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS AS ICC PROSECUTOR SEEKS PROBE INTO WAR ON DRUGS

The day of reckoning is coming. The International Criminal Court is an important part in the global fight against impunity and Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's tireless pursuit to exact the truth behind this administration's bloody war on drugs is highly laudable.

The application to open a full investigation on this gruesome campaign brings us one step closer towards justice for Kian delos Santos, Carl Arnaiz, Reynaldo de Guzman, as well as victims filed under "collateral damage" and those specifically targeted by agents of the state. These are severe crimes and must not go unpunished.

In line with our commitments under international law, I am calling on the entire state bureaucracy, especially our law enforcement units, to cooperate during the investigation stage. The whole world is watching.

We reiterate our calls: stop the killings. End impunity. Pursue a public health approach to problematic drug use.

Our collective commitment to human rights principles and a rules-based order predate this administration. I am confident it will outlive even the succeeding ones.