The International Criminal Court (ICC) said it would resume an investigation into the Philippine “war on drugs,” which has left thousands dead.

The ICC noted that the government’s efforts to investigate alleged abuses were insufficient.

The court suspended the investigation in November 2021 at the request of the Philippine government, which said local authorities were looking into at least 52 cases out of thousands killed in the drug war.

“Following a careful analysis of the materials provided by the Philippines, the (ICC) is not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations that would warrant a deferral of the court’s investigations on the basis of the complementarity principle,” the court said in a statement.

The ICC said it found that “the various domestic initiatives and proceedings, assessed collectively, do not amount to tangible, concrete and progressive investigative steps in a way that would sufficiently mirror the court’s investigation.”

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, on Friday, welcomed the decision, noting that only “the ICC offers a path forward to fill the accountability vacuum” as the government was not making a genuine effort.

“The ICC investigation in the Philippines is the only credible avenue for justice for the victims and their families of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s murderous ‘war on drugs’,” he said.

Mr Duterte launched the war on drugs after he was elected president in 2016 on an anti-crime platform.

Police said more than 6,000 people were killed in operations against illegal drugs during Mr Duterte’s administration. However, human rights groups have alleged that the death toll could be three times higher than that. 

(dpa/NAN)