Int'l lawyers group oppose Roque’s ILC nomination

At least 24 more lawyers from various countries expressed their disapproval of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s nomination to the United Nations’ (UN) International Law Commission (ILC) three days before its election.

The representatives from the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) and its national associations called on the Permanent Missions not to vote for Roque whose candidacy to the international body they deemed “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

They cited Roque’s defense and justification of President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war which is “beyond the call of duty”. They also mentioned Roque’s “undermining” of international accountability bodies and mechanisms like the International Criminal Court (ICC), UN Human Rights Council, and UN Office High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“IADL opposes the nomination to the International Law Commission of representatives of governments violating international law notably the Charter of the United Nations and or the Charter of Human Rights,” they foreign lawyers wrote.

The IADL is accredited in Consultative II Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and is represented at UNESCO and UNICEF. It is also a member of the Congress of Non-Government Organizations (CONGO) of the UN.

“To allow Mr. Roque to be elected to the Commission, therefore, is incompatible with its mandate, may contaminate its reputation and prestige, and might unduly compromise its credibility. At its core, his election will be adding insult to the irreparable injury to the victims of continuing human rights violations in the Philippines,” they added.

Roque earlier said that he would refuse to listen to the criticisms against his candidacy to the ILC, in response to the 152 lawyers who said he was “undeserving” of the post.

They said that as President Rodrigo Duterte’s ally, Roque has defended and justified the president’s statements “enabling extrajudicial killings, attacks on the rule of law and due process and on his unacceptable positions on human rights, justice, pandemic responses and good governance.”

Roque said he was not guilty of any crime just because of his association with Duterte.

“Wala pa pong napapatunayan laban sa Presidente. At iyong sa ICC, preliminary investigation pa lang sa war on drugs, hindi laban kay President Duterte. Iyan po ay paratang pa lamang, dadaan pa yan sa butas ng karayom,"

(It has yet to be proven that the President is guilty of any crime. And the ICC matter is just a preliminary investigation on the war on drugs, not on President Duterte. It is an allegation that would still have to go through the eye of a needle).

Duterte is currently facing ICC investigation for alleged crimes against humanity due to his bloody campaign against illegal drugs, with more than 7,000 reported deaths during police operations.—LDF, GMA News