DOJ-formed task force now investigating Duterte — Justice secretary
MANILA, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte is now being investigated by the task force formed by the Department of Justice to probe the alleged extrajudicial killings committed during his administration, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said in an interview with reporters on Monday, November 18.
He said that the DOJ's task force is looking at possible violations of International Humanitarian Law.
When asked about the scope of the investigation, the Justice chief said that the department wants the charges to be "separate from each other."
"What we charge here and what the ICC (International Criminal Court) charges, if possible, do not overlap," Remulla said.
"Everything that can be covered. Of course, you are talking about several laws that will come into play. You have the Revised Penal Code and other special laws and you have the Republic Act 9851,” he also said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Republic Act 9851 is also known as "Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity".
Meanwhile, the DOJ task force's probe comes after the former president attended the House of Representatives Quad Committee on November 13.
During the Quad Comm hearing, Duterte admitted to giving funds and incentives to police officers who conducted anti-illegal drug operations.
The former president also admitted that planting evidence was his strategy in apprehending drug suspects when he was still the mayor of Davao City.
Duterte also revealed that he tapped an “Iglesia ni Cristo” police official to manage the drug war, a claim previously made by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) chief Royina Garma during a Quad Comm probe.
The justice department has created a task force consisting of prosecutors along with the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate the alleged extrajudicial killings.
The task force also aligns with the ongoing investigations being conducted by the House of Representatives Quad Comm and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee into the war on drugs.
The government data estimates 6,000 deaths during the implementation anti-narcotics campaign of the Duterte administration. However, an international human rights group estimates up to 30,000 fatalities which usually consist of small-time drug pushers and users. — with reports from Dominique Nicole Flores
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