Duterte says ICC has no jurisdiction in PH

Former president Rodrigo Duterte called out anew the International Criminal Court for its scrutiny of alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration's drug war.

According to a "24 Oras" report on Tuesday, Duterte reiterated that he did not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction in the country.

“Ano 'yang ICC na 'yan? I do not recognize that. Ang tanong ko muna is jurisdiction. Abogado ako eh, jurisdiction... Fiscal ako, so when I face a case at the court, every day, magtanong ako. Do I have the power? Do I have jurisdiction dito sa kasong pino-prosecute ko,” he said.

(What is that ICC? I do not recognize that. My question is the jurisdiction. I am a lawyer, so jurisdiction... I am a Fiscal, so when I face a case at court everyday, I will ask. Do I have the power? Do I have jurisdiction in this case that I am prosecuting?)

He also said that there were killings that also occurred in other nations that the ICC had not yet acted on.

House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairman Representative Robert Ace Barbers earlier said that the former president, along with former PNP chief Senator Bato Dela Rosa, were included in the list of individuals to be invited as resource persons 

“We will extend courtesy sa dating pangulo. Karapatan niyang tumanggi, gayundin kay dating PNP chief [Sen. Dela Rosa]. May karapatan silang tumanggi. Walang pilitan itong aming imbitasyon,” Barbers said.

(We will extend courtesy to the former president and the ex-PNP chief. They have the right to refuse. Our invitation is not forcing anyone.) 

“Wala kaming inuusig. Ang amin dito, mabigyan kami ng impormasyon, ng kanilang expertise, ng kanilang nalalaman, ng kanilang pwedeng maitulong sa pagbuo ng bagong batas na bubuin kung sa ganon maparusahan ang mga accountable kaya namamayagpag ang mga criminal organization dito,” Barbers said.

(We are not prosecuting anyone. What we’re trying to do here is to obtain information and consult with their expertise, their knowledge, and whatever they know to help us in crafting a new law so that those accountable for proliferating criminal organizations in the country will be punished.)

Dela Rosa has said that he will not attend the inquiry to uphold inter-parliamentary courtesy between the Senate and the House.

Said quadruple committee is set to take place on August 15. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News