The International Criminal Court (ICC) may incorporate testimonies and evidence from the House Quad Committee hearings into its investigation of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, according to retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio.
Carpio emphasized that the video recordings and transcripts from these televised hearings should be formally submitted to the ICC. He noted that these materials could play a significant role in building the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity.
“For example, when Duterte admitted on record, ‘I ordered that,’ it serves as an extrajudicial confession,” Carpio explained to reporters.
The Quad Committee has been examining issues tied to Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), as well as deaths and illegal activities associated with the drug war.
Recently, Royina Garma, former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager, testified that Duterte had directed her to implement a model similar to Davao’s drug policy nationwide. Garma described a system where rewards between PHP 20,000 and PHP 1 million were given for neutralizing drug suspects.
Following Garma’s testimony, lawyer Kristina Conti, an ICC-accredited legal assistant, urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to submit this evidence to the ICC. However, President Marcos remains steadfast in his position that the ICC lacks jurisdiction in the Philippines. The nation formally withdrew from the ICC in 2019 after the tribunal began investigating Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
Separately, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced plans to reopen investigations into various unsolved cases of local officials killed during Duterte’s administration. In response, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed Malacañang’s support for these renewed investigations.