Philippines signals softer stance on ICC drug war probe, open to cooperate

Tiberiu Sabo

MANILA: The Philippines has signalled a softened stance towards an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into thousands of killings in a "war on drugs", a probe activists hope will see popular ex-president Rodrigo Duterte face charges of crimes against humanity. The "war on drugs" was the signature campaign policy that swept Duterte to power in 2016 as a maverick, crime-busting mayor, who delivered on promises he made during vitriolic speeches to kill thousands of narcotics dealers.