Solicitor-General Menardo Guevarra disclosed on Thursday that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has approved the government’s disengagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC’s Appeals Chamber earlier junked the Philippine government’s appeal against the resumption of a drug war probe.
Guevarra said the appeal was the country’s last involvement with the ICC.
“I have discussed this matter personally with PBBM and we have agreed that our appeal to the ICC appeals chamber is the end of our engagement with the ICC,” Guevarra told reporters.
The ICC Appeals Chamber backed the Pre-Trial Chamber’s January 2023 ruling authorizing the ICC Prosecutor to continue its probe on the killings in the Philippines in connection with former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war and the so-called Davao Death Squad.
Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr. meanwhile said the ICC has no business meddling in the country’s internal affairs. He said ICC has no right to issue warrants of arrest for some duly elected Philippine officials.
Revilla took the cudgels for fellow senator Ronald Dela Rosa and former President Rodrigo Duterte who led a campaign against illegal drugs.
“It is obvious the ICC’s interest here is not justice but something else entirely,” Revilla said, adding that in other places, “civilians, teachers, schoolchildren, are being killed.”
Sen. Francis Tolentino added that the denial of the appeal to stop the ICC probe does not grant the ICC any jurisdiction over those it tagged as behind the extrajudicial killings.
He pointed out that it is important to note that a foreign entity has no authority to investigate the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez meanwhile said the government can allow the investigation by the ICC into thousands of anti-drug war killings and question the tribunal’s jurisdiction later.
“The proper and only course of action of the Republic of the Philippines is to raise the issue of jurisdiction when the case is eventually filed in the ICC. Jurisdiction can be questioned at any stage of the proceedings”, he said.
The Mindanao lawmaker also expressed confidence that the international tribunal would eventually grant the country’s appeal for it to lay off its anti-drug war.
“When the case is brought to the ICC, we raise the issue of jurisdiction and the Philippines will surely secure its dismissal for lack of jurisdiction,” he added. Maricel V. Cruz
He pointed out that he agreed with the dissenting opinion of two of the five ICC judges who voted for granting the country’s request that the court stop its inquiry. Three judges rejected the plea.
In the meantime, Rodriguez urged concerned government officials to be calm and to study the decision well.
“There is no need for our government officials to say many extraneous comments on the decision,” he said.
