Philippines to summon former national police chief in probe into Duterte-era killings

Key Points:

• Former Philippine National Police chief and current senator Ronald dela Rosa will be summoned for investigation regarding alleged extrajudicial killings during anti-drug operations under ex-President Duterte, Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. announced.
• The killings, involving thousands of mostly poor drug suspects, occurred during Duterte's tenure as mayor of Davao and later as president, drawing condemnation from human rights groups and Western governments.
• Duterte, who is currently on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands for crimes against humanity, and dela Rosa have denied authorizing the killings, claiming suspects were killed in self-defense.
• The Philippine government’s investigation, separate from the ICC probe, aims to hold all officers accountable, starting with dela Rosa, described by Remulla as the "tip of the spear" in the extrajudicial killings.
• Security measures have been heightened at all Philippine ports and airports to prevent suspects from leaving the country as the investigation proceeds.