'ICC probe not affected by Khan's DQ'

The disqualification of International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan from participating in the case against former president Rodrigo Duterte will not stop the ongoing investigation into the situation in the Philippines, the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) said.

- By JANVIC MATEO

In a statement on Wednesday night, the OTP said the Appeals Chamber ruling that disqualified Khan does not affect the continuation of the proceedings in the case as it is being led by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang.

“The Office’s independent and impartial investigation into alleged Rome Statute crimes in relation to the Situation in the Philippines is ongoing,” it said.

“This investigation focuses on crimes allegedly committed on the territory of the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019 in the context of the so-called ‘War on Drugs’ campaign,” it added.

The OTP maintained that the investigative and prosecutorial activities, including the application for warrant against Duterte, were led by a multidisciplinary team under Niang’s supervision.