The Department of Justice (DOJ) is eyeing the possibility of charging former President Rodrigo Duterte with a violation of Republic Act No. 9851 or the International Humanitarian Law.
DOJ Secretary Crispin Remulla also confirmed that the DOJ task force tapped to investigate the previous administration’s so-called “war on drugs” is specifically investigating the former president.
The DOJ task force was created to prosecute the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings during the war on drugs.
Remulla, quoted by ABS-CBN News, stressed the “spirit of complementarity,” as the International Criminal Court (ICC) is also conducting its investigation into the possible crimes against humanity in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
“International Humanitarian Law is what we are eyeing because it is the law that the ICC is studying as well as the law that we have here, it is the law of the ICC that we are using right now, Republic Act 9851,” Remulla said.
Remulla said that the possible charges to be filed on the war on drugs will be separate from and will not overlap with the ICC.
“Even if we are not members of the ICC, the spirit of complementarity still applies,” Remulla, quoted by the report, further said.
Remulla said he had a meeting with the task force on Monday morning. Asked about the scope of its investigation, other laws possibly violated because of the war on drugs are also being studied by the task force.
Remulla said: “Everything could be covered, of course. You are talking about several laws that are coming into play and you have the Revised Penal Code and other laws and you have Republic Act 9851.”
Reports earlier said then asked by Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas in a November 13 House hearing whether or not he was willing to cooperate with the ICC investigation, Duterte said, “I am asking the ICC to hurry up and if possible, they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow.”
Duterte, 79, claimed that the “issue has been left hanging for so many years…” that he “might die before they investigate me.”
“They (ICC) should come here at once, tomorrow. They should start their investigation). If I am found guilty I will go to prison and rot there for all time,” he added.
