BI could not verify entry of ICC personalities — DOJ

Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano on Friday said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) could not verify whether personalities from the International Criminal Court (ICC)  seeking to investigate the Duterte administration’s drug war have entered the Philippines.

“Upon inquiry doon sa BI, kay Commissioner Norman Tansingco mismo, hindi po nila mabe-verify or ma-confirm kung pumasok nga ba talaga ‘yung mga taga ICC,” Clavano said in an ambush interview.

(Upon inquiry with the BI, with Commissioner Norman Tansingco himself, they could not verify whether members of the ICC have entered the country.)

Clavano, however, said that this is not a denial or a confirmation of the ICC’s presence.

“We’re also not admitting or confirming or acknowledging their presence here in the Philippines. Pwede din naman pong hindi totoo ‘yung balita na ‘yun (that could be false),” he said.

For their part, Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval previously said they could not comment on the matter as they had no official information yet.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/893137/solgen-philippines-has-no-legal-duty-to-help-icc/story/

ICC entrance

The ICC’s supposed presence in the country was first floated by former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque after he said that some individuals told him that personalities from the ICC are “coming in and out” of the country.

Clavano, however, stressed that Roque did not divulge the identity of these individuals.

“Well, wala naman siyang binanggit na kahit anong source, no, so hindi naman natin pwedeng paniwalaan lahat ng sinasabi ni Atty. Harry Roque. Although we have not yet spoken,” he said.

(He did not mention his source so we can’t just believe everything Atty. Harry Roque says. But we have not spoken yet.)

The DOJ spokesperson also hoped that Roque would share his information with the agency, saying the latter may still be building up the credibility of his source.

“Well, ako, sa tingin ko naman, sana mag reach out na lang din siya sa amin kung meron talaga siyang mga information, credible information. I’m sure at this point he would have already shared that with us,” Clavano said.

(Well, for me, I hope that he would reach out to us if he has information, credible information. I’m sure at this point he would have already shared them.)

“Siguro the fact na hindi pa siya ready magbigay ng information sa amin, wala pa naman kaming natatanggap galing sa kanya, ibig sabihin siguro he’s still building up the veracity of the information, the credibility of his source. And maybe at that point he will come forward with that information,” he added.

(Maybe the fact that he is not yet ready to tell us the information, we haven’t received anything yet, may mean that he’s still building up the veracity of the information, the credibility of his source. And maybe at that point, he will come forward with that information.)

Meanwhile, Clavano called on ICC members to inform the government if they are already in the country. 

*So ‘yun po 'yung siguro sentiment po natin na sana naman tumimbre sila at magpaalam sila na nandito na sila sa Pilipinas (so that is our sentiment that we hope they will inform us if they are already here),” he said.

Numerous Philippine officials, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, have spoken against continued cooperation with the tribunal after the ICC Appeals Chamber in July 2023 denied the government’s appeal against the resumption of its inquiry into the drug war.

In November 2023, however, Marcos said that returning into the fold of the international tribunal is “under study” even though he maintained that there are “problems” on the issue of jurisdiction.

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.

EJK victims

According to Clavano, the families of some victims of extra-judicial killings have approached the DOJ for help, but he could not divulge their identity.

“Pero nasama na po sa mga case files, sa case build up, sa investigation ‘yung mga binigay nilang impormasyon. So that’s [a] very good step for us dahil po 'yung mga organizations na willing makipagtulungan sa ICC ay willing na rin makipagtulungan sa DOJ sa Pilipinas,” he said.

(But this has been included in our case files, in the case build-up, in our investigation the information they shared. So that’s a very good step for us because organizations that are willing to help the ICC are now willing to help the DOJ.) 

He also called on other individuals with information to come forward.

“This is an open call to all those who really have more information on the abuses that have been made or done during the previous administration to do— come forward and give us everything they have,” Clavano said.

The Philippines, under then-President Rodrigo Duterte, withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2019 after the tribunal began a probe into the drug war, followed by a formal inquiry in September 2021.—AOL, GMA Integrated News