MANILA – A group of church workers and families of victims of drug-related killings urged Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to heed United Nations (UN) special rapporteur Irene Khan’s recommendation to return to the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

In her report to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Khan, the special rapporteur on freedom of expression and opinion, recommended that the Philippine government “restore its past ratification of the Rome Statute of the ICC.” 

She also recommended ratification of relevant international human rights treaties, including the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. 

The Rise Up for Life and for Rights expressed their support for Khan’s recommendations. 

Rise Up coordinator, United Methodist Church deaconess Rubilyn Litao, said in a statement that “the failure of domestic redress mechanisms especially during the Duterte administration shows the need for recourse to victims at the international level”. 

“The case at the ICC against former president [Rodrigo] Duterte and his co-conspirators is proof that the justice system in the Philippines has failed in rendering justice for the thousands of victims, a fact acknowledged by the local officials,” she said.   

Litao added, “The return to the ICC is the next logical immediate step.” 

Litao said that under Ferdinand Marcos Jr., extrajudicial killings continue. Latest data of Dahas showed there are 1,000 reported drug-related killings under Marcos Jr. as of June 15. 

Litao also reiterated their opposition to Duterte’s motion for interim release. She said this is a litmus test for the ICC’s efficacy as an accountability mechanism. 

On June 23, the ICC released a public version of the prosecution’s response to the urgent request for interim release filed by Duterte’s defense lawyer. 

The families of the victims of Duterte’s so-called war on drugs reiterated the dangers of granting the latter’s request. They assert that Duterte has the ability to interfere with and intimidate witnesses if he is released. 

They said Duterte “appears to continue to wield considerable power” and it is evident from his recent election as Mayor of Davao City. 

Meanwhile, Jonila Castro, abduction survivor and spokesperson of Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment, said that the Philippines’ ratification of the International Convention on Enforced Disappearance is a long overdue act that should push for the eradication and criminalization of enforced disappearances.

“As the Philippines holds out on the convention’s ratification, it likewise continues to renege on its obligations under international human rights law through the increasing number of enforced disappearances under the Marcos administration,” Castro said. 

She added, “Victims who survived abductions also remain skeptical of the domestic law on enforced disappearances because it has not effectively deterred such violations.”

According to Karapatan’s data, there are 18 victims of enforced disappearances and still remain missing under the Marcos Jr. government. The group also documented at least 30 survivors of abduction during the same period. 

Litao and Castro are part of the Philippine Universal Periodic Review Watch delegation in Geneva, Switzerland who are participating in the 59th session of the UN HRC. 

Other recommendations of Khan include the extension of a standing invitation to all UN special procedure mandate holders as well as a new human rights programme in the Philippines co-convened with the United Nations and local civil society groups. (RBV)