The alleged crimes against humanity of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his cohorts cannot be cleansed in the laundromat of the House of Representatives.  

Although the verbiage of House Resolution No. 780 urges the House of Representatives to defend Duterte against the resumption of the investigation of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutors, it does not deny that from 6,000 to 30,000 alleged drug suspects, mostly from the marginalized sectors, have been summarily killed in the wake of Duterte’s murderous campaign against illegal drugs. 

While the justice system in the Philippines is functioning, the fact is not a single case has been filed and prosecuted against Duterte for his alleged crimes against humanity.

Considering the default of the Philippine justice system in favor of Duterte, the proper forum now is the ICC which has jurisdiction over covered crimes committed before the Philippines conveniently withdrew from the Rome Statute at the behest of Duterte himself.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN