MEDIA INFORMATION LITERACY FIRST ONLINE QUIZ 2019

DRUG WAR in the  PHILIPPINE 2019

On March 1, 2019, results of an SWS survey conducted from December 16 to 19, 2018, on 1,440 adults nationwide was released that concluded that 78% (or almost 4 out of 5 Filipinos) were worried "that they, or someone they know, will be a victim of extrajudicial killings (EJK)."^[180] However, Philippine National Police chief, Police General Oscar Albayalde criticized the survey results pointing out that the survey wrongly presented a question which "cannot be validated by respondents without keen awareness or understanding of EJK as we know it from Administrative Order No. 35 Series of 2012 by President [Benigno Simeon] Aquino [III]." He reiterated "I take the latest survey results on public perception to alleged extrajudicial killing with a full cup of salt. It shouldn’t be surprising that 78 percent are afraid of getting killed. Who isn’t afraid to die, anyway?"^[181]On January 17, 2019, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, on his state visit in the country, praised the war on drugs campaign, saying that the campaign is "an example to the whole world."^[175] Two days later, human rights groups had expressed alarm over the statement of Sirisena.^[176] On January 18, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) issued a statement, saying that the Philippines along with Syria, Nigeria, Yemen, and Afghanistan, is "one of the deadliest places in the world to be a civilian," citing deaths in the drug war. Malacanang reacted by saying that the report "is remarkable in ignorance and bias."^[177] A survey conducted by SWS from December 16–19, 2018, showing that 66% of the Filipinos believe that drug addicts in the country have diminished substantially.^[178] However, on February 19, 2019, opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes made a statement about the few drug addicts, whom Trillanes said that "they were killed 'without due process,'" and slams Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo by saying "what are you celebrating, Mr. Panelo, the ruthlessness of your boss?"^[179]

On March 14, Duterte released another list of the politicians allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade. The list consists of 45 incumbent officials: 33 mayors, 8 vice mayors, 3 congressmen, one board member, and one former mayor.^[182] Of all politicians named, there are eight politicians belong to Duterte's own political party PDP–Laban.^[183] Opposition figures such as senatorial candidates from Otso Diretso said that Duterte used the list "to ensure their allies would win" in May 2019 election.^[184]

On March 17, the country formally withdrew from the ICC after the country's withdrawal notification was received by the Secretary-General of the United Nations last year.^[185]

In September 2019, the authorities have accused Guia Gomez-Castro, former chairwoman of Barangay 484 in Sampaloc, Manila as a mastermind of "recycling" the illegal drugs the law enforcement seized to the corrupt police officers.^[186] Dubbed by the authorities as "drug queen", the PDEA added that the corrupt police officers have been selling shabu which is worth P16.6 million daily in Gomez-Castro's cohort and also said that Gomez-Castro is allegedly being protected by the corrupt police officers and other politicians.^[187] On September 25, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that Gomez-Castro has already left the country on September 21.^[188] On the same day, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, through his Facebook live streaming, has ordered Gomez-Castro to surrender to her office.^[188]

Prior to this, in November 2013, the NBI raided the house of Gomez-Castro in Barangay 484, Sampaloc, Manila where they seized a P240,000 worth of shabu.^[189] In November 2018, seven people were arrested by Tondo police during drug operation; some of them are chairwoman's relatives.^[190] In a text message, Castro refuted all the accusation thrown against her.^[191]

On October 25, 2019, Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro, one of the mayor whom Duterte named him for alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade,^[192] was shot dead in ambush by four masked men while he was being transported to the prosecutor's office in Cebu City,^[193][194] following his alleged beating up the massage therapist.^[195] Prior to his death, Cebu City police said that according to Navarro's family, the mayor had been received death threats in Misamis Occidental.^[196]

Ninja cops controversy[edit]

The "ninja cops" refers to the police officers who were accused of "recycling" the illegal drugs that they seized during the police operations. PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde was the center of the controversy who was accused of protecting the so-called "ninja cops" or the corrupt officials.^[197]

On November 29, 2013, twelve police officers, led by Major Rodney Baloyo, conduct a raid on Mexico, Pampanga and seized 36.68 kg (80.9 lb) of methamphetamine (shabu). Albayalde was the acting police chief of Pampanga at the time of the raid.^[198] That operation was supposed to go after Chinese drug lord Johnson Lee, but they evaded the arrest after Lee allegedly paid the police officers a P50 million. Lee is currently remained at large and is now wanted by the authorities.^[199] Baloyo contradicted the morning police operations, saying that they raided Lee's house at 4:30pm.^[200] On November 30, 2013, authorities submitted the illegal drugs that they recovered as a evidence.^[198] PNP Chief General Oscar Albayalde was accused of covering-up in the issue.^[198]

In a Senate hearing, according to Major Rodney Baloyo, he ordered the Police Officer 2 Anthony Lacsamana to conduct a raid on the area; however, Lacsamana denied Baloyo's claim.^[201] Senator Richard Gordon has Baloyo detained at the New Bilibid Prison for "lying" at the hearing.^[202] A Senate investigation found out that P648 million worth of seized shabu from the November 2013 raid was not declared by the Pampanga police. Additionally, it was reported that the police officers have earned P50 million from the drug lord's wealth.^[203] Former Deputy Director for Operations of the CIDG Gen. Rudy Lacadin revealed that then-Pampanga provincial director Albayalde had received some money from the operation.^[204] A memo written by Albayalde sent to the Regional Director on December 2, 2013 stated that Albayalde himself ordered the buy-bust operation in Pampanga, however during the Senate hearing, Albayalde denied the knowledge of the operation.^[205]

Meanwhile in Central Visayas, nine police officers were dismissed from their duties of Police Regional Office 7 over the reports that they "were proven to be drug users."^[206]

The Makabayan bloc demanded the immediate resignation of Albayalde from his post and other officials over the implication of the controversy.^[207] On October 14, Albayalde eventually resigned as the PNP chief.^[208][209] Duterte expressed his disappointment over the issue.^[210][211]

On October 21, 2019, The PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed a complaint before the Department of Justice, citing a re-investigation of Albayalde and 13 of his personnel over the alleged recycling of drugs of some 162 kilograms of shabu of that they seized,^[212] while a Senate suggested a life imprisonment for the mentioned police officers.^[211] The PNP said in a statement that the accused "remain innocent until proven guilty."^[213]

Robredo's appointment as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD)[edit]

On October 23, 2019, Vice President Leni Robredo made a statement, saying that Duterte should allow the UN to investigate the war on drugs, and she added that a campaign has been "a failure and a dent on the country's international image."^[214] Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo slammed Robredo's remark, saying that her claim "lacked factual basis."^[215] However, on October 27, 2019, Robredo clarified that she suggested for "tweaks" to the campaign and denied that she called to stop the war on drugs.^[216] On November 4, 2019, Duterte assigned Vice President Leni Robredo to be co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) until the end of his term in 2022, said presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo. [1]

he Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) said that, the vice president is “misled in understanding the anti-drug campaign,” and that law enforcement is only a part of a multi-faceted dimension in addressing domestic drug issues using a holistic, balanced and comprehensive approach. “While enforcement issues are more evident, we cannot discount the successes we have gained in the demand reduction part of the campaign," the DDB said.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo meanwhile tagged Robredo’s comments as “black propaganda” as they lacked factual basis--advising the Vice President to detach herself from detreactors.

Panelo said that while the government is not intolerant of criticisms, Robrado’s comments “become a disinformation campaign and an abuse of the freedom of speech and of expression, and unproductive to the mature evolution of a democratic society and a hindrance to its progress. ^[217][218]

Operations[edit]

The Philippine National Police manages Oplan Double Barrel as part of its involvement in President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs in the Philippines. It consists of two main components: Oplan Tokhang and Oplan HVT.^[219] Tokhang is characterized as the lower barrel approach while HVT which stands for high value targets is described as the police's high barrel approach.^[220] The operation was launched in 2016.^[221]

The Philippine police temporarily suspended its operations in October 2017 after a directive by President Duterte amidst reports of abuse by the police with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) taking over as the leading agency against illegal drug activities in the Philippines. The police resumed operations in January 2018 with the police officially playing a supporting role to PDEA in Duterte's campaign.^[220]

Oplan Tokhang[edit]

One component of the war on drugs by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is Oplan Tokhang. The name of the operation was derived from the toktok (knock) and hangyo (plead). As the name suggests, Oplan Tokhang involves the police visiting the houses of individuals suspected to be involved in the illegal drug trade or as users, to persuade them to stop their activities and submit themselves to authority for potential rehabilitation. A more comprehensive guideline by the Philippine National Police then under the leadership of Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa was released prior to the resumption of police operations on the war on drugs in January 2019 after it was temporarily postponed.^[222] Tokhang is characterized as a Police Community Relations operation.^[223]

Under the guidelines, in a single operation, four police officers selected by the locality's police chief designated as tokhangers to visit the suspects' houses in full uniform. They are to be accompanied by one member of the barangay, municipality or city anti-drug abuse council, one representative from the PNP human-rights affairs office or any human rights advocate and at least one from the religious sector, members of the media or other prominent personalities in the area. They are only allowed to enter the suspect's house upon consent of the suspect or the house owner. The police coordinates with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the local anti-drug abuse councils for the conduct of the operations. The guidelines include the option for drug suspects to surrender themselves to the police or the barangay hall and option to avail rehabilitation. They are not required to sign any document. If the suspect refuse to surrender or engages the visiting Oplan Tokhang team, their case are to be endorsed to the Drug Enforcement Units which will conduct relevant police operations including case build-up and negation.^[222]

The policy was first used in a more local scale in Davao, when Dela Rosa was still the police chief of the locality leading police visits to drug suspects houses. The word tokhang has become associated with killings related to the campaign against illegal drugs prior to the release of the guideline^[222] with the PDEA chief General Aaron Aquino urging to discontinue the use "thokhang" to refer to the government's operations.^[221]

Oplan HVT[edit]

Oplan High Profile Targets (HVT) is a component of the Philippine National Police operations under Operation Double Barrel which aims to arrest and neutralize individuals which the police alleged to be involved in the country's illegal drug trade. They include drug lords and pushers who operate in groups.^[224] In its November 2016 report, the PNP Directorate for Intelligence said that of the 956 validated high-value targets identified by the national police since the start of the campaign, 23 were killed in police operations, 109 were arrested, and 361 surrendered.^[224] This accounts for over 54.6% of the total identified HVTs while another 29 targets were listed as deaths under investigation. The PNP also reported that at least ₱1.445 billion in illegal drugs have been seized in the first four months of their campaign against HVTs.^[224]

The high-value targets identified by the national police include Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa who earlier surrendered to the PNP before being killed in prison, and alleged number 2 Visayas drug lord Franz Sabalones, the brother of San Fernando, Cebu Mayor Fralz Sabalones, who surrendered to the PNP after being named by President Duterte in his narco-list speech.^[225] The high-value targets also include the following alleged drug lords and local chief executives killed since the start of the drug war on July 1, 2016.^[226]

Support of non-state actors[edit]

Rodrigo Duterte's campaign against illegal drugs were aided by non-government organizations including rebel groups and vigilantes. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing the New People's Army (NPA), initially cooperated with the government but withdrew its support for the government's campaign against drugs in August 2016 although the communist party vowed to continue its own operations, independent from the government's anti-drug campaign, against drug suspects.^[3]

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a rebel group at truce with the government, forged a protocol with the Philippine government in July 2017 in which it pledged to arrest and turn over drug suspects taking refuge in the rebel group's camps and would allow the government to conduct its anti-drug operations in areas controlled by the rebel group.^[4]

Armed vigilantes and hired killers are also involved in the campaign.^[5][6]

Reactions[edit]

Local[edit]

Senator Risa Hontiveros, an opponent of Duterte, said that the Drug War was a political strategy intended to persuade people that "suddenly the historically most important issue of poverty was no longer the most important."^[50]

Protest by local human rights groups, remembering the victims of the drug war, October 2019.

This however is belied by President Duterte who still recognizes poverty as a key problem of the country. In fact, in the administration’s 10-point Socioeconomic Agenda, no. 8 is to improve social protection programs, which includes the Conditional Cash Transfer Program, to protect the poor.^[227]

The President has signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11315, or the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS) Act. RA 11315 authorizes the government to adopt a CBMS, “which generates updated and disaggregated data necessary in targeting beneficiaries, conducting more comprehensive poverty analysis and needs prioritization, designing appropriate policies and interventions, and monitoring impact over time. CBMS is an “economic and social tool towards the formulation and implementation of poverty alleviation and development programs.”^[228]

Moreover, according to data from Pulse Asia surveys, the poverty stricken – classes D and E, never gave the President approval and trust ratings below 70% throughout the first half of his presidency. This goes to show that the poor are satisfied with the social policies and programs of the administration in relation to poverty alleviation, among others.^[229]

Lastly, during the President’s fourth SONA, the President called on officials to work towards lifting 6 million Filipinos out of poverty. ^[230]

De Lima expressed frustration with the attitude of Filipinos towards extrajudicial killings: "they think that it's good for peace and order. We now have death squads on a national scale, but I'm not seeing public outrage."^[50]

President Duterte has denied the involvement in ‘Davao Death Squad.’ “It started in Davao as a political issue. As a matter of fact, you go to Davao, the DDS is not really a DDS. It was during the time ‘Sparrow versus the DDS of government,” President Duterte said.^[231]

The President has pointed out that not a single case was filed against him when Senator Leila de Lima was Chair of the Commission on Human Rights for 7 years.

According to a Pulse Asia opinion poll conducted from July 2 to 8, 2016, 91% of Filipinos "trusted" Duterte.^[232] A survey conducted between February and May 2017, by PEW research center, found that 78% of the Filipinos support the drug war.^[233] A survey in September 2017 showed 88% support for the Drug War, while 73% believed that extrajudicial executions were occurring.^[28]

Dela Rosa announced in September 2016 that the Drug War had "reduced the supply of illegal drugs in the country by some 80 to 90 percent",^[234] and said that the War was already being won, based on statistical and observational evidence.^[235]

Aljazeera reported that John Collins, director of the London School of Economics International Drug Policy Project, said: "Targeting the supply side can have short-term effects. However, these are usually limited to creating market chaos rather than reducing the size of the market. ... What you learn is that you're going to war with a force of economics and the force of economics tends to win out: supply, demand and price tend to find their own way." He said it was a "certainty" that "the Philippines' new 'war' will fail and society will emerge worse off from it."^[50]

Malacañang and the chief of police declared the drug war a success, claiming that supply has been cut by 90 percent, with the government regaining authority at national penitentiary Bilibid where incarcerated leaders of cartels continue to control the narcotics chain from their swish cells.^[236]

In June 2017 the price of methamphetamine on the streets of Manila was lower than it had been at the start of Duterte's presidency, according to Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency data. Gloria Lai of the International Drug Policy Consortium commented: "If prices have fallen, it's an indication that enforcement actions have not been effective".^[237]

The Chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., quelled fears that foreign investors might be put off by the increasing rate of killings in the country, explaining at a press conference on September 19, 2016, that investors only care about profit: "They don't care if 50% of Filipinos are killing each other so long as they're not affected".^[238] On the following day the Wall Street Journal reported that foreign investors, who account for half of the activity on the Philippine Stock Exchange, had been "hightailing it out of town", selling $500 million worth of shares over the past month, putting pressure on the Philippine peso which was close to its weakest point since 2009.^[239]

The Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Tagle acknowledged that people were right to be "worried about extrajudicial killings", along with other "form[s] of murder": abortion, unfair labor practices, wasting food, and "selling illegal drugs, pushing the youth to go into vices".^[240]

International[edit]

Protest against the Philippine war on drugs in front of the Philippine Consulate General in New York City. The protesters are holding placards which urge Duterte to stop killing drug users.

During his official state visit to the Philippines in January 2017, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe said: "On countering illegal drugs, we want to work together with the Philippines through relevant measures of support". He offered financial assistance for Philippine drug rehabilitation centers, and made no mention of deaths resulting from the drug war. He announced a $800 million Official Development Assistance package to "promote economic and infrastructure development".^[241]

Gary Song-Huann Lin, the representative of Taiwan in the Philippines, welcomed Duterte's plan to declare a war against criminality and illegal drugs. He said Taiwan is ready to help the Philippines combat cross-border crimes like human and drug trafficking.^[242]

On July 19, 2016, Lingxiao Li, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Manila, announced China's support for the Drug War: "China fully understands that the Philippine government under the leadership of H. E. President Rodrigo Duterte has taken it as a top priority to crack down drug-related crimes. China has expressed explicitly to the new administration China's willingness for effective cooperation in this regard, and would like to work out a specific plan of action with the Philippine side." The statement made no reference to extrajudicial killings, and called illegal drugs the "common enemy of mankind".^{[243][244][245]} On September 27, the Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua reiterated that "Illegal drugs are the enemy of all mankind" in a statement confirming Chinese support for the Duterte administration.^[244]

Indonesian National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian commented in regards to Indonesia's rejection of a similar policy for Indonesia: "Shoot on sight policy leads to abuse of power. We still believe in the presumption of innocence. Lethal actions are only warranted if there is an immediate threat against officers... there should not be a deliberate attempt to kill".^[246] In September 2016 Budi Waseso, head of Indonesia's National Anti-Narcotics Agency (BNN), said that he was currently contemplating copying the Philippines' hardline tactics against drug traffickers. He said that the Agency planned a major increase in armaments and recruitment. An Agency spokesman later attempted to downplay the comments, stating: "We can't shoot criminals just like that, we have to follow the rules."^[247] Most recently, Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo used the language of “emergency” to ramp up the country's war on drugs, in a move that observers see as "in step with Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s" own campaign against the illegal drug trade.^[248]

On October 16, prior to Duterte's departure for a state visit to Brunei, the President said he would seek the support of that country for his campaign against illegal drugs and Brunei's continued assistance to achieve peace and progress in Mindanao.^[249] This was responded positively from Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah on the next day according to Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.^[250] Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said "he respect the method undertaken by the Philippine government as it is suitable for their country situation", while stressing that "Malaysia will never follow such example as we have our own methods with one of those such as seizing assets used in drug trafficking with resultant funds to be channelled back towards rehabilitation, prevention and enforcement of laws against drugs".^[251]

On December 3, 2016, Duterte said that during a phone conversation on the previous day with then-United States President-elect Donald Trump, Trump had invited him to Washington, and endorsed his Drug War policy, assuring him that it was being conducted "the right way".^[252] Duterte described the conversation:

I could sense a good rapport, an animated President-elect Trump. And he was wishing me success in my campaign against the drug problem. [...] He understood the way we are handling it, and I said that there’s nothing wrong in protecting a country. It was a bit very encouraging in the sense that I supposed that what he really wanted to say was that we would be the last to interfere in the affairs of your own country.^[253]

On December 16, Duterte and Singaporean President Tony Tan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed to work together in the fight against terrorism and illegal drugs. In a meeting during a state visit both parties discussed areas of cooperation between the two countries.^[254]

The European Parliament expressed concern over the extrajudicial killings after a resolution on September 15, stating: "Drug trafficking and drug abuse in the Philippines remain a serious national and international concern, note MEPs. They understand that millions of people are hurt by the high level of drug addiction and its consequences in the country but are also concerned by the 'extraordinarily high numbers killed during police operations in the context of an intensified anti-crime and anti-drug campaign."^[255]

The European Parliament has crossed a red line when it called for interfering in the Philippines’ sovereignty, according to then Foreign Affairs Secetary Alan Peter Cayetano. The resolution were said to be “biased, incomplete and even wrong information and does not reflect the true situation on the ground”. However the European Parliament was also criticized after the Philippine Presidential spokesperson said that it is  inconsistent that the European Parliament will condemn the war against drugs, which is now also being financed partly by the European Union especially in drug rehabilitation projects.^[256]  

In response, at a press conference Duterte made an obscene hand gesture and called British and French representatives "hypocrites" because their ancestors had killed thousands of Arabs and others in the colonial era. He said: "When I read the EU condemnation I told them fuck you. You are doing it in atonement for your sins. They are now strict because they have guilty feelings. Who did I kill? Assuming that it's true? 1,700? How many have they killed?"^[257][258]

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, in a visit to the Philippines in March 2017, warned that unless the Philippines addresses human rights issues, the EU would cancel tariff-free export of 6,000 products under the Generalized System of Preferences. Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella dismissed the concerns, saying that they revealed European ignorance.^[241]

On December 24, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Edward Markey, and Christopher Coons expressed their concerns regarding the alleged extrajudicial killings and human rights violations in Duterte's war on drugs. Through a letter sent to the U.S. Department of State, they noted that instead of addressing the drug problem, investing in treatment programs or approaching the issue with an emphasis on health, Duterte has "pledged to kill another 20,000 to 30,000 people, many simply because they suffer from a drug use disorder." Rubio, Markey and Coons also questioned U.S. secretary of state John Kerry's pledge of $32-million funding for training and other law-enforcement assistance during his visit to Manila.^[259][260] In May 2017, Senator Rubio, along with Senator Ben Cardin, filed a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate to restrict the exportation of weapons from the U.S. to the Philippines.^[261]

The US ambassador in Manila announced on December 14, 2016, that the US foreign aid agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, would cancel funding to the Philippines due to "significant concerns around rule of law and civil liberties in the Philippines", explaining that aid recipients were required to demonstrate a "commitment to the rule of law, due process and respect for human rights". The MCC had disbursed $434 million to the Philippines from 2011 to 2015. The funding denial was expected to lead to the cancellation of a five-year infrastructure development project previously agreed to in December 2015.^[241]

In February 2017, former Colombian President César Gaviria wrote an opinion piece on The New York Times to warn Duterte and the administration that the drug war is "unwinnable" and "disastrous," citing his own experiences as the President of Colombia. He also criticized the alleged extrajudicial killings and vigilantism, saying these are "the wrong ways to go." According to Gaviria, the war on drugs is essentially a war on people.^[262] Gaviria suggested that improving public health and safety, strengthening anti-corruption measures, investing in sustainable development, decriminalizing drug consumption, and strengthening the regulation of therapeutic goods would enhance supply and demand reduction. In response to Gaviria, Duterte called him an "idiot," and said the issue of extrajudicial killings should be set aside, and that there were four to five million drug addicts in the country.^[263][264]

In September 2017, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano delivered a speech at the 72nd United Nations General Assembly, during which he argued that extrajudicial killings were a myth, and that the Drug War, which according to Human Rights Watch had resulted in 13,000 deaths to date, was being waged to "protect (the) human rights of...the most vulnerable (citizens)."^[265] In October 2017, Cayetano was interviewed by al-Jazeera. He asserted that all 3,900 people who were killed in the Drug War had fought against the police, and that all of the killings were being investigated.^[266]

International Criminal Court[edit]

The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda expressed concern, over the drug-related killings in the country, on October 13, 2016.^[267] In her statement, Bensouda said that the high officials of the country "seem to condone such killings and further seem to encourage State forces and civilians alike to continue targeting these individuals with lethal force."^[268] She also warns that any person in the country who provoke "in acts of mass violence by ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing, in any other manner, to the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of ICC" will be prosecuted before the court.^[269] About that, Duterte is open for the investigation by the ICC, Malacañang said.^[269]

In February 2018, the ICC announced a “preliminary examination” into killings linked to the Philippine government's “war on drugs”. Prosecutor Bensouda said the court will “analyze crimes allegedly committed in [the Philippines] since at least 1 July 2016.” Duterte's spokesman Harry Roque dismissed the ICC's decision as a “waste of the court’s time and resources”.^{[270][271][272]} In March, Duterte announced his intention to withdraw the Philippines from the ICC tribunal, which is a process that takes a year.^[273][168]

In August 2018, activists and eight families of victims of the Drug War filed a second petition with the ICC, accusing Duterte of murder and crimes against humanity, and calling for his indictment for thousands of extrajudicial killings, which according to the 50-page complaint included "brazen" executions by police acting with impunity. Neri Colmenares, a lawyer acting for the group, said that "Duterte is personally liable for ordering state police to undertake mass killings." Duterte threatened to arrest the ICC prosecutor Bensouda.^[274]

United Nations Human Rights Council action[edit]

On June 19, 2018, 38 United Nations member states released a collective statement through the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), calling on the Philippines and President Duterte to stop the killings in the country and probe abuses caused by the Drug War. The 38 nations included Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.^{[275][276][277]}

On July 11, 2019, the UNHRC adopted an Iceland-proposed resolution calling on the council to look into the rising killings related to the Drug War and the human rights situation in the country.^[278][279] In response, President Rodrigo Duterte reacted to the resolution saying Iceland has no crime because its people "just go about eating ice" while Senators Vicente Sotto III and Imee Marcos said that countries who voted in favor of the resolution lacked the moral high ground due to abortion being legal in most of these countries. The two legislators believed that abortion is a more serious concern than killings linked to the drug war while Marcos called for the immediate severance of ties of her country with Iceland.^[280]

Malacanang called the resolution "outrageous interference" in the sovereignty of the Philippines as it has no jurisdiction to do so. The Philippine government also said that Iceland may have been fed with inaccurate information about the Philippines’ war on drugs, as the former has no embassy in the Philippines.

The Presidential Spokesperson called the resolution ”grotesquely one-sided, outrageously narrow, and maliciously partisan.” "It reeks of nauseating politics completely devoid of respect for the sovereignty of our country, even as it is bereft of the gruesome realities of the drug menace,” he added.

According to the Presidential Human Rights Committee Secretariat (PHRCS) the government didn’t find the need for such a country-specific inquiry on the Philippines as there are so many existing mechanisms wherein the information in the country can be accessed.

The Philippine government continue to subject itself to the universal periodic review every four years as well as different treaty bodies periodically. Despite the mechanisms that are already in place, Iceland resorted to such a move. “The position of the Philippine government is that we will not respect such as resolution, but we will continue engaging the UN through the different mechanisms which we already availed and always respected throughout the years. There was a certain sense of frustration because of the cases that were filed before the ICC without first going through the domestic remedies and the domestic channels, wherein remedies can be considered to be able to address these cases that were brought before the attention of the ICC. So the Philippine government thought it was very disrespectful and violative of the processes,” PHRCS Undersecretary Severo Catura said.("WIKIPEDIA ", PHILIPPINE DRUG WAR,)

In this statement we can see the effort of the government towards the Drug Campaign. 

INSTRUCTION : write your answer in the comment section

                           #hashtag your full name , section and course

1. What is your stand about the war on drugs.
2. What counterpart you can do for the government war on drugs
3. What are the effects of drugs in student