INVESTIGATORS of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have been in the Philippines since October as part of the inquiry into the Philippines' war on drugs.
The presence of the investigators has not been officially confirmed by the ICC or Philippine officials, sources told The Manila Times.
Among the prominent members of the investigating team are ICC Senior Investigator William Rosato and Glenn Kala.
Reports indicate that Rosato, who arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Oct. 19 on Malaysian Airlines MH 804, was accompanied by Maya Brackeen, an American interpreter.
Rosato is the lead investigator in the ICC's Office of The Prosecutor. He has been conducting similar investigations for the last 15 years.
Kala arrived a day later on a Philippine Airlines flight.
The team has been meeting with various individuals and organizations connected to the investigation, the sources said.
Rosato and Kala have allegedly been staying at the Raffles Hotel in Makati City.
The sources said the team would hold several meetings with individuals at Midas Hotel and Casino in Pasay City. One of them is Edward Israel, a person whose full identity and role in the investigation remain unclear.
The ICC inquiry, which focuses on possible human rights violations and extrajudicial killings during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, was launched in 2021 after the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute. It centers around allegations of extrajudicial killings, torture, and other human rights abuses during the anti-drug campaign.
Duterte has repeatedly defended the anti-narcotics program, saying it was necessary to curb the growing drug problem in the country. Critics argue that the campaign led to the deaths of thousands of drug suspects, many of whom were killed without trial or due process.
Despite the Philippine government's withdrawal from the ICC and its refusal to cooperate, the court claims jurisdiction over crimes that took place during the period when the Philippines was still a member.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has consistently rejected the ICC's involvement, arguing that the country has a functioning judicial system that can investigate and prosecute crimes related to the war on drugs.
The Marcos administration has also criticized the ICC's investigation as an infringement on the country's sovereignty.