VP Sara urges House to respect Marcos decision on ICC drug probe

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday called on members of the House of Representatives to "respect" the position of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the previous administration's war on drugs.

Duterte made the call in a statement amid the "sudden and unannounced joint meetings" in the House of Representatives about the international court's probe.

She reiterated Marcos' earlier statement that the Philippines would end further engagement with the ICC after the court rejected the government's appeal to stop the ICC prosecutor's investigation on crimes against humanity allegedly committed by former President Rodrigo Duterte under his anti-illegal drugs campaign. 

"Given this clear standpoint, we urge the House to respect the position of the President, who is the chief architect of our foreign policy," said Vice President Duterte, daughter of the former president. 

"The President has likewise affirmed that his opinion is based on the fact that the ICC ceased to have jurisdiction over the Philippines upon the effectivity of our withdrawal from the Rome Statute on March 17, 2019," she added. 

The Vice President also said that allowing the ICC to investigate the "alleged crimes that are now under the exclusive jurisdiction of our prosecutors and our Courts is not only patently unconstitutional but effectively belittles and degrades our legal institutions." 

"Huwag nating insultuhin at bigyan ng kahihiyan ang ating mga hukuman sa pamamagitan ng pagpapakita sa mundo na tayo ay naniniwala na mga dayuhan lang ang tanging may abilidad na magbigay ng katarungan at hustisya sa ating sariling bayan," she said. 

(Let us not insult and embarrass our courts by showing to the world that we believe that only foreign powers have the ability to serve justice in our country.)

On Tuesday, Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. filed a resolution urging the Marcos administration to coordinate with the ICC probe. 

A similar resolution was filed by Makabayan bloc lawmakers France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list, Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list, and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan party-list last October.

The ICC Appeals Chamber had denied the Philippine government’s appeal to stop the probe on the drug war killings, saying the Philippine government has failed to prove that a legitimate investigation and the prosecution of perpetrators are being undertaken by local authorities.

The ICC Prosecutor Pre-Trial chamber earlier observed, as regards to the drug war, that "the available material indicates, to the required standard, that a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population took place pursuant to or in furtherance of a State policy, within the meaning of Article 7(1) and (2)(a) of the Statute."

Under the drug war, at least 6,200 suspects were killed in police operations based on government records. Human rights groups, however, claimed the actual death toll could be from 12,000 to 30,000.

In 2019, the Philippines, under then-President Duterte, withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, after the tribunal began a preliminary probe into his administration’s drug war, followed by the launch of a formal inquiry later that year.

In 2021, the Supreme Court (SC) said the Philippines has the obligation to cooperate with the ICC despite its withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said he will meet with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin to clarify the Philippine government's position on its membership with the ICC. —KBK, GMA Integrated News