Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla acknowledged that the Philippine justice system failed to address alleged extrajudicial killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, forcing victims’ families to seek justice from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
During a Senate hearing on Duterte’s arrest warrant issued by the ICC, Remulla stated that for years, victims’ families had “nowhere to run to” in the country. He admitted that the government was unable to investigate these cases properly, with even prosecutors being intimidated by the police at the time.
“The families filed their cases with the ICC because they could not get justice in the country. This is something nobody wants to acknowledge—that our justice system failed for a long time,” Remulla said in response to questioning from Senator Imee Marcos.
Duterte was arrested on March 11 and is currently detained at The Hague Penitentiary. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. clarified that the Philippine government did not cooperate with the ICC but had to honor commitments with Interpol in serving the warrant.
Remulla noted improvements in the justice system, citing better coordination between prosecutors and law enforcement. However, Marcos questioned why cases were still not being filed domestically. Remulla responded that the government had no control over families who sought justice through the ICC.
Official police records report around 6,000 deaths from the drug war, but human rights groups estimate the number to be as high as 30,000, including vigilante killings. Remulla further revealed that many families had already turned to the ICC even before Duterte’s presidency, referencing incidents in Davao during his time as mayor.
Additionally, forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun found inconsistencies in death certificates, with many citing cardiac arrest as the cause of death despite autopsies revealing gunshot wounds. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla suggested that the Senate investigate these discrepancies.
