Families of drug war victims and groups renew their call for justice in commemoration of the International Human Rights Day 2024. (Contributed photo)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Families of drug war victims and groups on Tuesday challenged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to 鈥渢ake a hard look鈥� into the evidence and documents presented proving violations of human rights during the previous administration鈥檚 drug war campaign.
A statement by the Makabayan coalition said in commemoration of the International Human Rights Day 2024, surviving families and groups submitted evidence of the alleged violations of the International Humanitarian Law to the DOJ.
One of them was Liezel Asuncion, wife of slain labor leader Manny Asuncion, who said that the evidence was enough to jail former president Rodrigo Duterte, who orchestrated the brutal war on drugs during his regime.
Asuncion was among the nine activists killed in March 2021 in a simultaneous police-military operations known as 鈥淏loody Sunday.鈥�
鈥淚f this agency right here is serious in its mandate, we challenge them to take a hard look at the evidence of gross violations of International Humanitarian Law under Duterte. Hindi lang sapat, kundi sobra sobra na ang dahilan para ikulong na si Duterte,鈥� said Asuncion.
Asuncion also said that her husband鈥檚 murder 鈥渟peaks volumes about what kind of government we have 鈥� a government of the rich and powerful.鈥�
READ: DOJ chief creates task force to probe alleged EJKs during drug war
DOJ chief Jesus Crispin Remulla last month created a task force to prove the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) allegedly committed during the implementation of drug war of the Duterte administration.
Former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, lawyer for the families of EJK victims and an accredited counsel of the International Criminal Court, previously said that the court may have finished its investigations into the alleged crimes against humanity of Duterte.
READ: ICC crowdsourcing evidence vs Duterte
Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno previously revealed in a hearing of the House committee on human rights, which is investigating cases of extrajudicial killings in the anti-drug campaign, that the Office of the President under Duterte鈥檚 administration listed 20,322 drug war-related deaths from July 1, 2016 to November 27, 2017.
Diokno said that of this figure, 3,967 happened during police operations while 16,355 came from riding-in-tandem incidents and other unidentified assailants.