News Roundup 21 July 2023
Jul 21, 2023 • 4 min Read
Dismissal of charges vs police in drug war shootout justifies ICC probe —Int’l law group | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The dismissal of charges against four police officers accused of killing civilians in an Oplan Tokhang operation justifies the need for the International Criminal Court to continue its drug war probe, a lawyer’s group specializing in international law said.
The Office of the Ombudsman this week dropped both criminal and administrative charges against police officers Emil Garcia, Allan Formilleza, James Aggarao, and Melchor Navisaga. These four officers are accused of killing four civilians during the conduct of its anti-illegal drugs operation in Barangay Payatas in August 2016.
One civilian who survived the incident by playing dead later testified against the cops but was also arrested and accused of shooting the police personnel. He was cleared by a Quezon City court in March.
“The dismissal of charges by the Ombudsman also reinforces the necessity for the International Criminal Court to exercise its jurisdiction in order to prosecute the masterminds behind the thousands of extrajudicial killings during the Duterte years,” CenterLaw said.
CenterLaw added that it “laments the fact that while the Ombudsman acknowledged the deaths of the victims in the hands of the policemen, and notwithstanding very clear irregularities in the police operations and glaring inconsistencies in the policemen’s sworn statements, it still cleared the respondent-police officers not only of criminal liability but also of administrative liability.”
Full Story at: Dismissal of charges vs police in drug war shootout justifies ICC probe —Int’l law group | Philstar.com
Marcos: We’re done with ICC | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on Friday that the government is “done” with the International Criminal Court days after it announced its decision to resume its probe into the drug war killings under the Duterte administration.
“That’s it. We have no appeals pending. We have no more actions being taken. So, I suppose that puts an end to our dealings with the ICC,” Marcos said during an event in Zamboanga Sibugay.
“So, we continue to defend the sovereignty of the Philippines and continue to question the jurisdiction of the ICC in their investigations here in the Philippines,” the president added.
The ICC on Tuesday rejected the appeal of the Philippine government to pause the investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity committed during the war on drugs of the previous administration. This greenlighted its prosecutors to start issuing warrants of arrest in the Philippines.
Full Story at: Marcos: We’re done with ICC | Philstar.com
ICC drug war probe can count on these Mindanao lawyers | INQUIRER.NET – A group of Mindanao-based lawyers who lost some members and colleagues to extrajudicial killings have expressed their full support for and cooperation with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war “in the pursuit of justice for the countless lives lost and their grief-stricken families.”
“Having experienced the grave loss of loved ones in what were referred to as ‘nanlaban’ police operations or ‘vigilante’ death squad killings—which have also claimed the lives of members of the legal profession—Mindanao shares a deep desire for justice and accountability,” the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) said in a statement signed by its chair, Antonio Azarcon.
Seeking accountability for thousands of lives lost would be an essential step toward ending the climate of impunity in the country, the group added.
The ICC ruling, according to UPLM, should serve as a strong reminder that while states “may attempt to use procedural remedies to delay justice, yet the day of reckoning and accountability will inevitably come.”
Full Story at: ICC drug war probe can count on these Mindanao lawyers | Inquirer News
UP drafting guidelines on ‘responsible’ AI use | INQUIRER.NET – The University of the Philippines (UP) has released a draft set of guiding principles on the “responsible use” of artificial intelligence (AI), in the first such move by the national university to deal with the expansion of various applications like the popular ChatGPT.
On Wednesday, UP said that it was “considering a policy on AI” in response to the rapid development and adoption of the technology, especially in an academic environment.
It released a draft text outlining the “UP Principles for Responsible Artificial Intelligence” use and development in the university and for the public good. It asked students, teachers and other members of the UP community to make suggestions to improve the draft.
Other universities in the country have not made public similar efforts, if any, in the use or deployment of AI by their constituents.
“AI makes our lives easier by automating tasks and providing us with information and recommendations tailored to our individual needs. It also has the potential to transform education. It could enhance the personalized learning, increase student engagement in learning, and improve education management,” UP said in a statement.
Full Story at: UP drafting guidelines on ‘responsible’ AI use | Inquirer News
