DOJ: Ex-Pres Duterte under probe on EJKs


Former president Rodrigo Duterte is among those being investigated by the task force on extrajudicial killings (EJKs) that is led by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“Our task force is doing that now,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla told journalists on Monday, Nov. 18.

Remulla, however, did not disclose who are under investigation aside from Duterte.

He said that being looked into by the task force are violations of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) under Republic Act (RA) 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

He said the investigation is wide-ranging.

“Lahat ng pwede sakupin (We will cover everything). S’yempre (Off  course)you are talking about several laws that will come into play. You have the Revised Penal Code, and other special laws and you have Republic Act 9851,” he said.

Remulla reminded that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is also investigating Duterte over the EJKs that were committed during the drug war of the former president. 

“Even if we are not members of the ICC, the spirit of complementarity is still in place,” he said.

Remulla explained: “What we charge here and what the ICC charges, if possible, do not overlap.”

“‘Pag nag-overlap ‘yan sa ICC magchoose tayo (If there is an overlap we will choose what to charge). We want the charges to be separate from each other,” he pointed out.