Thread by @mikenavallo

Rise Up and National Union of Peoples' Lawyers hold presscon on International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's impending departure from office. NUPL Chair Neri Colmenares asks Bensouda to resolve preliminary examination of communications vs PH drug war.

Colmenares says Pres Duterte's statement saying he cannot release all drug files on the basis of national security should be enough reason for Bensouda to finish preliminary examination. In their latest filing, they say there's no genuine and effective national probe.

READ: In new filing this morning, NUPL and Rise Up submit supplemental pleading and reiterates plea to investigate crimes against humanity in PH and to arrest PH Pres Rodrigo Duterte.

NUPL and Rise Up say there is no genuine and effective national investigation or prosecution of crimes committed in PH war on drugs.

NUPL, Rise Up: The Justice Dept review, however, is neither comprehensive nor transparent, with results submitted to the chief implementors of the “war on drugs” policy: the Respondent President himself and the Philippine National Police. There is no public access to the report.

NUPL's Krissy Conti says they're optimistic that the incoming ICC Prosecutor Kareem Khan, given his background, has the capabality to handle these cases. Khan is an asst secgen of the UN investigating war crimes in Iraq and has litigated intl humanitarian and intl crim law cases

What's taking the ICC Prosecutor so long? Colmenares cites 2 factors: Duterte is still a sitting president and Duterte prohibited ICC Prosecutor's or her team's visit to PH.

Conti says DOJ and PNP never reached out to them regarding drug war review. She reveals Ombudsman has ordered, in 2 of 7 complaints, the filing of charges in court against police officers involved in drug war deaths.

Conti says they have submitted both official and reliable documents to the ICC Prosecutor. These include PH stats on drug war, statements of Pres Duterte and govt agencies, affidavits and evidence from victims, news reports, even UN documents and reports.

Responding to SOJ Guevarra's statement last night about drug war review, Conti points out the 52 cases from PNP and 107 from PDEA are just a "drop in the bucket" compared to more than 6,000 killed in police operations based on official records.

Conti also points out peculiarity in DOJ-led drug war review: it's the President and the PNP who will decide if cases will be filed and against whom. "We don’t think that’s the kind of investigation envisioned by the Rome Statute," she says.

Conti calls the DOJ drug war review "token investigation."