Former Bayan Muna party-list congressman Neri Colmenares also believes the International Criminal Court (ICC) has wrapped up its investigation into the crimes against humanity charge against former president Rodrigo Duterte for the bloody drug war that killed thousands of Filipinos during his term.
Colmenares, one of the lawyers of the victims of the anti-drug war, along with human rights lawyer Kristina Conti echoed what former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trilllanes IV said last week — that the ICC is likely done with its investigation here in the Philippines.
Lawmakers allied with Duterte have asked the Marcos government to expel the investigators, and another lawyer and an overseas Filipino worker asked the Supreme Court to do the same, but Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla has said he doubts the probers have entered the country.
Duterte, in a recent press conference in Davao City, said President Marcos had nothing to do with the ICC probe, adding: “It is the f****** ICC interfering in our private affairs, in the sense that it intrudes into the sovereignty of the other nations.”
On Trillanes’ assertion, Colmenares said: “I agree with that because the evidence is strong and the investigation has been going on for years … It’s been so long. But we believe that the case is strong and the culpability is very clear.”
The former senator believes the ICC probers have finished interviewing key witnesses to the charge against Duterte, and had gone into the country without giving notice to the Philippine government.
“I think the case is now at the finishing touches level for some of the principals, while those who are at the secondary level, cases are still being built up or are about to be completed too,” Trillanes said.
Duterte’s camp made a fuss on the alleged arrival of ICC probers, with Senator Ronald dela Rosa and former spokesperson Harry Roque leading the fray.
Trillanes earlier said ICC could have entered the country discreetly since nothing prohibits them from coming to Manila.
“My educated guess is they have already completed their investigation on the alleged crimes against humanity,” added the former lawmaker and military officer, who was one of the first ones to file the case before the ICC.
Such missions are “highly confidential,” Trillanes said, and that the ICC may have done its work already.
The ex-senator also said the ICC may have already obtained the testimony of confessed hitman Arturo Lascañas, a former police officer and an alleged member of the infamous “Davao Death Squad” of Duterte.
The Bureau of Immigration on Friday said it has no information on the supposed presence of ICC investigators in the country.
The Department of Justice also said it was checking if ICC prosecutor Karim Khan or any official of the organization had entered the Philippines.
“Of course, as representatives of the International Criminal Court, it would be in their best interest to let us know because the mechanisms by which they would be conducting their investigations, their inquiry here would be with the assistance, of course, of the government,” Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said.
“And for them to come in and to avoid detection, we don’t like that because it would look like foreigners are getting in without any notification,” Clavano added.