A human rights group is demanding accountability for extrajudicial killings committed during the country’s war on drugs, after a police officer's conviction for a 2016 murder.
The Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court (PCICC) welcomed the conviction of Police Col. Dante Lubos, who was found guilty of killing Ryan Dave Almora in his home.
In an emailed statement, the group stressed that the conviction came nine years after the crime and is one of few in the over 6,200 deaths during police anti-drug operations.
“Domestic accountability of those responsible for extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs is still too few, far too slow, and far in between,” the PCICC statement reads in part.
The group highlighted that convictions to date cover only a few cases, none of which involve killings in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
The PCICC also criticized the police for using a 2016 executive order as an excuse to not cooperate with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). The group urged President Marcos and the new Philippine National Police chief to issue a directive ensuring the CHR has access to police records.
“The findings and decision of RTC Judge Malecdan are further proof that the ‘nanlaban’ (fought back) narrative used by police officers cannot be used as a basis for the ‘presumption of regularity’ of the killings during police operations,” Atty. Ray Paolo Santiago, PCICC co-chairperson, said.
The group also pointed out that forensic evidence helped contradict the police’s narrative in the Almora case and hopes it will be used in other cases.
The group also expressed concern that some government officials are still using their positions to “propagate false narratives” that justify the killings.
The PCICC called for continued International Criminal Court (ICC) action, including the confirmation of charges against former President Duterte and the issuance of arrest warrants. The group also expressed hope that the Marcos government will fully cooperate with the ICC.
