The Philippines' ICC Cooperation Is Real. The Domestic Cases Aren't.
Manila is cooperating with the Hague. It is not, meaningfully, prosecuting the drug-war killings at home.
Two Tracks
The Marcos administration allowed ICC investigators access. That mattered. It has not been matched by domestic action.
The ICC track
A formal cooperation memorandum. Documents produced. Witnesses permitted to travel. The former president is under investigation for crimes against humanity.
The domestic track
Roughly 6,200 official drug-war killings. Independent tallies run 3–5x higher. Domestic convictions of officers: fewer than a dozen. Convictions of anyone giving orders: zero.
Why the gap
Prosecuting up the chain of command means confronting a policing culture that outlasts any administration. It also means confronting families that still poll well in Mindanao.
Cooperation with an international court is easier than reform of a national one. The Philippines is doing the easier thing. That is not nothing. It is not enough.
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