The Department of Justice (DOJ) has started investigating former President Rodrigo Duterte after comments he made during a recent hearing by the House Quad Committee (QuadComm), according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. The DOJ is looking into Duterte’s actions as mayor of Davao City, where he claimed to have personally killed at least six people, including some crooked police officers.
This investigation could overlap with the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into Duterte’s controversial war on drugs and the killings linked to the Davao Death Squad. Remulla explained that they are working on separating the cases the Philippine government is handling from those being investigated by the ICC.
Remulla also mentioned that they are considering International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in their investigation, as both the ICC and the Philippines use this law for war-related cases. The government’s task force, made up of prosecutors and agents from the National Bureau of Investigation, is focused on investigating these serious claims.
Duterte’s former legal counsel, Atty. Salvador Panelo, criticized the investigation, claiming that it is just an attack on Duterte’s reputation. He suggested that if there is evidence, the government should go ahead and file charges.
The Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign is believed to have led to the deaths of around 6,200 drug suspects, though human rights groups claim the number could be as high as 30,000 due to unreported killings.
