STOP THE DRUG WAR Statement

StoptheDrugWar.org commends the arrest by Philippine authorities this morning of former President Rodrigo Duterte, under an International Criminal Court warrant served by Interpol. During his presidency, Duterte launched and presided over a mass drug war killing campaign, estimates for the number of victims of which range as high as 30,000.

At a time when rule of law in our own country, the United States, faces its gravest threat since the Civil War, it is comforting to see that an international rule of law institution is able to function and make a difference.

We note however that extrajudicial drug war killings continue in the Philippines, the rate of those reported near one per day.  We note that testimony provided to the ICC by confessed former Duterte death squad leaders implicated a number of important figures in the Philippines in addition to former President Duterte, including two sitting Senators as well as Vice President Sara Duterte – it is hoped the Duterte arrest will be only the first in this investigation, not the last.  We condemn US sanctions imposed on the ICC last month by the Trump administration, which makes all of its work more difficult, and may place advocates in jeopardy by association.  And we note that a long, challenging and uncertain legal process lies ahead in this case.

Despite that, today is a milestone, and an important step for justice.

Our own organization’s advocacy on the Philippines situation began eight years ago with a side event at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna.  Today, at the UN again we hold the next event in our series, “Shared Mistakes: Societies Address Mass Incarceration, the Death Penalty and Extrajudicial Killings,” participation also open to interested parties via Zoom or by live stream. Visit https://stopthedrugwar.org/ruleoflaw to read more about our work in this area.

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