Kolkata, June 15 (TIWN) Thousands of people who have fallen victim to the ‘war on drugs in the Philippines are now a step closer to justice, if a recommendation for a full investigation into the suspected crimes against humanity by International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is accepted by the courts judges.

The ICC Prosecutor's decision to recommend opening of this investigation provides hope to thousands of victims of the government's ‘war on drugs' campaign.  "It is a welcome step towards holding (Rodrigo) Duterte and all other perpetrators accountable for the actions they took in this long-drawn ‘war on drugs'," eight Filipino and Asian human rights organisations said in a joint statement.  These are Philippines-based organisations Balaod Mindanaw, DAKILA - Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, Karapatan Alliance Philippines, In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDefend), Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights (LILAK), Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Task Force Detainees in the Philippines (TFDP), and regional organisation, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA).