DAPAT umanong hayaan ang Commission on Human Rights (CHR) at ang judiciary na magampanan ang mandato nito, sa gitna ng imbestigasyon ng International Criminal Court (ICC) sa mga paglabag sa karapatang pantao noong war on drugs campaign ng administrasyong Duterte.

Sa ganitong paraan, sinabi ni Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua na mapananagot ang mga may sala.

“There is another way to hold accountable those who took part in the reprehensible and disgusting utter regard for human life, decency, the rule of law, and constitutional due process,” ani Chua.

Binigyan-diin ni Chua, isang abogado, ang kahalagahan ng epektibong legal framework, partikular ang Republic Act (RA) 9851, upang mapanagot ang mga may sala sa batas.

Ang RA 9851 na tinutukoy ni Chua ay may titulong “Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity, Organizing Jurisdiction, Designating Special Courts, and for Related Purposes.”

“This law is our country’s own law to hold to account those who order, mastermind, perpetrate, and cover up crimes against humanity and other crimes of the highest order,” sabi ni Chua.

“RA 9851 provides the legal bases, processes, courts, mechanisms, and penalties against crimes against humanity,” dagdag pa nito.

Ayon kay Chua, hindi kailangang manghimasok ng Executive department at Kongreso sa imbestigasyon ng ICC dahil mayroon umanong sapat na mandato ang CHR at judiciary para rito.

“The Executive Department and Congress need not lift a finger to help nor block the [ICC] in its investigation of the inhumane and horrific war on drugs of the previous administration, the alleged co-conspirators, masterminds, accomplices before and after the fact, and their henchmen,” sabi ni Chua.

“The CHR and the Judiciary are there to execute their mandates, independent of the Executive Branch and Congress,” dagdag pa nito.

Iginiit din ni Chua ang kahalagahan na tumugon ang Pilipinas, bilang isang estado at founding member ng United Nations, sa international law at hindi nito dapat pigilan ang imbestigasyon ng ICC.

“Being a sovereign state in the international community and Founding Member of the UN, the Philippines is legally-bound to follow international law, including the UN Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, and to respect the United Nations Laissez-Passer or the UN Passport and all holders of the UN Passport,” punto ni Chua.

“If the Philippines denies entry to the ICC Prosecutor, Investigators, and Staff that would be a direct offense to the UN and can make our country an outcast or pariah, along with the accompanying diplomatic and international crises,” dagdag pa nito.

Hinimok ng mambabatas ang CHR na makipagtulungan sa ICC, UN at international community upang mabigyan ng hustisya ang mga biktima ng hindi makataong war on drugs.

“That war on drugs horrendously claimed the lives of thousands and destroyed the lives of tens of thousands more,” sabi pa ni Chua.

Ayon sa 1987 Constitution, sinabi ni Chua na ang CHR ay mayroong mandato na imbestigahan ang lahat ng uri ng karapatang-pantao.

Sinabi ni Chua na ang CHR at ang hudikatura ay maaaring tumulong sa mga biktima upang makamit ang hustisya.

“Already pending in various courts are the criminal cases filed by the Prosecutors of the Department of Justice,” sabi pa nito.

Nagpahayag din ng pagkabahala si Chua kung nakompleto ang imbestigasyon ng mga kaso upang matiyak na mapapanagot ang nasa likod ng krimen.

Ayon kay Chua, dapat repasuhin ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. ang mga hakbang kaugnay ng imbestigasyon ng ICC.

“It is simply constitutional and legal to let the CHR and the Judiciary do their jobs,” sabi pa ni Chua.

Matatandaan na ilang beses nang sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos na hindi makikipagtulungan ang kanyang administrasyon sa ICC kaugnay ng imbestigasyon nito sa war on drugs ng nakaraang administrasyon.