ICC Granted Authority to Pursue Drug War Crimes Investigation in the Philippines

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the Social Security System (SSS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on July 11 to collaborate on the adoption of the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) within the SSS operations. The MOU aims to establish a framework for cooperation and explore joint projects to enhance public services using the digital identification system.

Dennis Mapa, the National Statistician, expressed his appreciation to SSS for their commitment to simplifying transactions and providing seamless services through PhilSys. He believes that the cooperation between PhilSys and SSS will facilitate a smooth transition to digital citizen-centric service delivery.

The signing ceremony was attended by key officials from PSA and SSS, including Social Security President and CEO Rolando Ledesma Macasaet.

Previously, on March 22, PSA collaborated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development

(DSWD) to utilize the PhilSys registry in the "Listahanan" or National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction. This system aims to create a database of poor households to better identify beneficiaries for social protection programs and eliminate duplicate and ghost beneficiaries.

As of July 11, 2023, PSA reported that 80,004,098 Filipinos have already been registered under the PhilSys program, indicating its widespread adoption and impact on the Filipino population.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been granted the authority to request arrest warrants in connection with drugrelated deaths. The Appeals Chamber of the ICC in The Hague will rule on the Philippine government's appeal to halt the investigation into alleged crimes against humanity during the war on drugs under former president Rodrigo Duterte and ex-PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has made it clear that the government will not cooperate with ICC prosecutors and will not implement any arrest warrant issued by the court. However, the ICC can now proceed with determining who may be charged with crimes against humanity in the context of the war on drugs.

The ICC's decision, published on July 18, allows the investigation to resume concerning the thousands of extrajudicial killings and rights abuses that occurred during Duterte's drug war. Official government records state that at least 6,200 people were killed in police operations, but human rights groups claim the actual death toll could be as high as 12,000 to 30,000. Despite the ICC ruling, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, the chief implementer of the drug war, remains unfazed by the decision.