Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, July 19 renewed her call for the Philippines to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the drug killings instigated by the Duterte administration.
                            Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Senate PRIB Photo)

Hontiveros reiterated her call after the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected the government’s bid to stop its probe into the killings. “This is an important first step in achieving justice for the victims, the widows and the orphans of the war on drugs,” Hontiveros said in a statement. Given the President's political alliances, the deputy minority leader said she could only hope that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration will cooperate with the ICC. “My hope is that the President and the agencies of the Executive will cooperate with the investigation of the ICC so that true justice is obtained,” she said. “The people are watching if he will put the country or his political alliance first. Sana ang Bagong Pilipinas nila ay Pilipinas na makatarungan sa lahat (I hope that their vision of a new Philippines is a Philippines that is just to all),” she added. Marcos ran for president in last year’s elections with Vice President Sara Duterte as his running mate. Last February, Marcos said the Philippines could no longer cooperate with the ICC saying the country is a sovereign nation capable of running its internal affairs and problems. Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, meanwhile, assured that the Upper Chamber will protect Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who is among the accused in the case. Zubiri said the Senate will not give up Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and chief implementor of the Duterte government’s brutal drug war, unless there is an arrest warrant issued by a local court.