International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said there is “reasonable basis” to believe that crimes against humanity were committed in the killings related to President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

“The Office is satisfied that information available provides a reasonable basis to believe that the crimes against humanity of murder (article 7(1)(a)), torture (article 7(1)(f)) and the infliction of serious physical injury and mental harm as other inhumane Acts (article 7(1)(k)) were committed on the territory of the Philippines between at least 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019, in connection to the War on Drugs campaign launched throughout the country,” Bensouda said in her report released Tuesday, December 15.

Bensouda has not yet decided whether she will move the phase to a formal investigation, citing restrictions brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. She earlier announced the next move would be decided within the year 2020.

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