Press Release
December 11, 2017

Dispatch from Crame No. 210
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's statement on the State's failure to investigate the killings

12 / 11 / 17

Simple lang ang tanong: Meron bang nagaganap ngayon na imbestigayson o pag-uusig laban kay Duterte, bilang mastermind, kasama na ang mga pangunahing tagapagpatupad ng kanyang utos, sa pagpaslang sa mga walang kalaban laban nating mga kababayan?

Malinaw ang sagot: WALA.

In my humble view, that indubitable fact ought to satisfy the principle of complementarity being invoked by Duterte's mouthpieces and defenders in evading international accountability under the Rome Statute which established the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Complementarity just means that our domestic or national authorities or processes are either ineffective or inadequate to investigate and prosecute ICC crimes, here, the crimes against humanity. Again, no investigation, let alone a serious or exhaustive one, is being made against the masterminds and the most guilty behind the EJKs.

Besides, we cannot expect this government to investigate or prosecute itself, given Duterte's numerous recorded incitements and public admissions (both explicit and implied) that it is their policy to kill the so-called dregs of society in the name of Duterte's obsessive and criminal War on Drugs. In short, this regime is unwilling or unable to exact accountability for these crimes.

Ang mga kampon lang ni Duterte ang hindi naniniwala, o nagmamaang maangan lang, sa malagim na katotohanan na State-sponsored, State-sanctioned or State inspired ang mga EJKs na nangyayari sa ating bansa ngayon. The President himself has been instigating and inspiring these mass murders, and worse, shielding and protecting the culprits or actual executioners. That's as clear as daylight.

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