PNP chief to prove to ICC killings not state-sponsored
Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa expressed confidence on Saturday that the International Criminal Court will find out that the killings of individuals allegedly involved in illegal drugs were not state-sponsored.
In an interview in Baguio City, De la Rosa said President Rodrigo Duterte also did not tell him anything nor make any directive in relation to the ICC investigation.
"He (Duterte) didn't say anything. But if it's already there, we will face it. We are not hiding anything. They (ICC) will find out once they investigate that these are not orders from the President, these are not state-sponsored," he said.
The ICC has been conducting the preliminary examination of the complaint filed against Duterte for allegedly committing crimes against humanity.
Filipino lawyer Jude Sabio, with the backing of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, filed the complaint with the ICC, citing the thousands of people who were killed when Duterte was still mayor of Davao City and now that he is the president.
Dela Rosa slammed Alejano, whom he said was a former Navy officer, thus, he did not know the police operations.
"I am very sorry to tell you (Alejano) that you don't know the pattern because you are a Navy officer, you are not a policeman. If you are a policeman, you should know that drug transactions happened at night," he said.
He said the PNP is ready to provide ICC the documents that it would need for as long as the legal processes would be followed.
But he expressed belief that the ICC probe was "politically motivated."
According to government data, as of Feb. 8, over 4,000 individuals allegedly involved in illegal drugs died during the police operations since the campaign against narcotics was launched on July 1, 2016. Ella Dionisio/DMS
