The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and revolutionary forces of the Filipino people reaffirms its solidarity with the families and friends of the tens of thousands of victims of Duterte’s bloody drug war in their continuing struggle for justice. In line with their aspiration, they welcomed the July 18 decision of the International Criminal Court dismissing the petition of the Marcos government to stop the court from its investigation and possible prosecution of former president Duterte and cohorts for crimes against humanity.

It is clear to them that justice will not be attained under the Marcos government which continues to extend legal protection and political support to Rodrigo Duterte, to whom Marcos owes his manufactured election victory. Thus, the ICC decision gives them a glimmer of hope that, somehow, Duterte and his criminal cohorts responsible for the systematic and widespread killings under the so-called drug war will be put to justice.

In their quest for justice, it is well within the range of options of the victims of Duterte’s drug war to seek the intervention of the ICC. They also can avail of the option of the justice system under the revolutionary government under which the interests of the poor and oppressed are paramount.

There is great urgency in the demand for justice for past crimes perpetrated by the police under Duterte’s reign of terror; especially amid the continuing campaign of killings being carried out by the police under Marcos Jr.

Then, as now, the so-called war on drugs is a sham. It was used by Duterte to establish himself as the biggest drug lord in the country to whom everybody should seek protection. Illegal drug trafficking in the Philippines remain unabated, with frequent reports of large amounts of methamphetamine passing through customs (which Duterte placed under the control of the military in 2018).

Duterte used the war on drugs as a weapon against his rivals (in politics and in criminal syndicates), firing accusations left and right against his rivals for supposedly being “involved in drugs,” without going to court, in order to silence them, or force them to bow before him. Those who did not bow were targeted for liquidation through “Tokhang-style” killings. Still others, including Sen. Leila De Lima, were subjected to prolonged imprisonment on trumped up charges.

Duterte used the sham war on drugs to cultivate a culture of ruthless brutality and criminal impunity among the police and military. He goaded his armed minions to “kill, kill, kill” with promises of legal protection. Death squads, funded and controlled by Duterte himself, were deployed across the country and worked with the police. The same impunity and brutality characterize the counterinsurgency operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and PNP, especially in thousands of rural communities that have been placed under military rule.