No police records in 95% of ‘wrongful deaths’ in Duterte drug war – Remulla

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla (Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — About 95 percent of “wrongful deaths” during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war had no police records, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Thursday.

Remulla made the revelation during the Senate hearing investigating the arrest of Duterte due to his alleged crimes against humanity case before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

READ: ICC still has jurisdiction over individuals — Remulla to Imee Marcos

Duterte was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday, March 11 and flown to The Hague on the same day.

“When we look at the records of the wrongful death situations, there were really no police reports, maybe 95 percent had no police reports,” Remulla told senators during the hearing.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano was surprised. 

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that…” Cayetano said.

Nevertheless, Cayetano still believes that “our justice system is working.”

Remulla said it is now working, but stressed that there was a “failure of the justice system” during that time.

“What the cases we are speaking about, we’re filed by the families in the ICC because they can’t get justice in the country,” he pointed out.

READ: Sen. Imee Marcos: Since when has PH become a province of The Hague?

The Duterte administration’s drug war claimed at least 6,000 lives, according to official government data. 

But human rights watchdogs and the ICC prosecutor estimated the death toll to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019, as they noted that many of these incidents were extrajudicial killings.

“I think that’s one thing that nobody wants to acknowledge is that, there is a failure of justice system for a long time, and they have to file their cases in the ICC to get any attention at all from anybody who cares,” Remulla said.