Abante: House resos on ICC probe about principles, not personalities

The three House resolutions calling on the Marcos administration to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) is about upholding rule of law and not about personalities, a House leader said Wednesday.

House Committee on Human Rights chairperson Bienvenido Abante said this amid claims by former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Senator Ronald dela Rosa that the House is deliberating on such resolutions apparently in an effort to undermine Vice President Sara Duterte.

Duterte is the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, whose bloody war on drugs is the subject of the ICC investigation following claims of human rights abuses. 

"Cooperating with the ICC is upholding the rule of law. Cooperating with the ICC even with our withdrawal from the Rome Statute would demonstrate that no one is above the law, and we are accountable for our actions," Abante said.

"This is about principles, not personalities. Rule of law is a sacrosanct principle, even the country’s Supreme Court said, and  I quote, that the ICC retains jurisdiction on any and all acts committed by government actors until March 17, 2019," he added.

Abante also said cooperating with the ICC shows the Philippines’ commitment to upholding the rights of its citizens, and recognition that a fair and impartial probe is essential to address abuses.

"This is not about the international community. This is about standing up for the rights and dignity of our own citizens," the lawmaker from Manila said.

"We should keep in mind that these House Resolutions also protect the human rights of those being investigated and their right to due process: that is the right to be innocent until proven otherwise."
 
Abante said allowing ICC investigators to look into drug war deaths to see if crimes against humanity were indeed committed by the previous administration will make the country’s justice system more credible.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Friday last week said that returning under the fold of the ICC is "under study" — a statement which appears to be a reversal of his earlier pronouncement that he would not cooperate with the ICC inquiry.

Vice President Duterte, a lawyer, earlier said her camp will insist to the Department of Justice (DOJ) that the Philippines should not cooperate with the ICC probe. —KBK, GMA Integrated News