MANILA – A Philippine senator on May 12 declared he would resist any attempt to bring him before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution on charges of crimes against humanity. He stressed that he never condoned extrajudicial killings while serving as head of the national police force.
Speaking to reporters in the capital Manila, the senator took a firm stance against a potential ICC arrest warrant linked to the bloody anti-drug campaign under former President Rodrigo Duterte. He argued the ICC lacks jurisdiction over Philippine citizens, as Manila withdrew from the court in 2019.
“I will fight to the end; there is no way I will voluntarily surrender to any international court,” the senator said. He also denied allegations that he ordered or covered up extrajudicial executions during his tenure as police chief from 2016 to 2018, the peak of the anti-drug campaign that left thousands dead.
International human rights groups estimate that 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed in the campaign, mostly poor individuals and drug users executed by police without trial. The Philippine government, however, acknowledges only about 6,000 drug-related deaths.
The ICC officially opened an investigation into the killings under the Philippine anti-drug campaign in September 2021, following numerous complaints from victims and human rights organizations. Although Manila has said it will not cooperate, the ICC continues to collect evidence and interview witnesses.
The senator is now one of the most influential political figures in the Philippines, having served as police chief under Duterte before being elected senator in 2022. He insists all his actions while in office were lawful and aimed at protecting national security from the scourge of drugs.
