The re-declaration of the “war on drugs” by Sebastian Duterte, current mayor of Davao City and son of Rodrigo Duterte, may help the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation.

“Since the killings that can be considered extrajudicial continue, this may even speed up the ongoing ICC investigation against former president Rodrigo Duterte,” said Atty. Neri Colmenares, chief lawyer of the families of victims of the “war on drugs” who filed a case against the elder Duterte at the ICC.

The possibility arose after it was reported that seven people were killed in police operations, three days after the young Duterte declared his “war on drugs.” Along with the declaration, Duterte threatened to kill those involved in drugs if they do not leave the city immediately.

According to Atty. Colmenares, although extra-judicial killings in the renewed “war on drugs” of the younger Duterte can no longer be included in the ICC, the victims can refer these to the ICC to push the court to speed up the trial of the case because murders are ongoing.

The lawyer says the younger Duterte’s declaration of a “new” war is proof that his father’s supposed “anti-drug war” is an “utter failure”. “After Rodrigo Duterte’s six years as president and 22 years as mayor of Davao City, there are still drugs in Davao? Mayor Baste should be embarassed of that.”