QuadComm solon: ICC withdrawal devastating, PH should rejoin
Reacting to the European Union's call for the Philippines to reconsider its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, a member of the House QuadComm investigating drug war deaths during the Duterte administration called on the Philippine government to rejoin the ICC.
"There must be a court of last resort - which will complement domestic courts - that will investigate and, where warranted, try individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, namely: genocide; war crimes; crimes against humanity; and the crime of aggression," said Batangas Congresswoman Gerville Luistro.
"As a nation committed to justice and the preservation of human rights and human dignity, it is imperative for the Philippines to take an unqualified position in its membership in the ICC," Luistro added.
Furthermore, Luistro argued that ICC values conformed with the 1987 Philippine Constitution, and as such, the Philippines turning its back on the ICC cast the country in a bad light.
"The decision to depart from the Rome Statute in 2019 was a devastating decision: it sent the wrong message to the international community that we were unwilling to uphold the protection and promotion of human rights, which should be inherent to every individual, and displayed the fragility of our democratic institutions," Luistro said.
The ICC withdrawal, she added, placed the rule of law in the hands of the select few who may not always have good intentions.
"At its core, the withdrawal from the ICC signified to our people that our Government’s commitment to international treaties, more importantly to our domestic laws, is malleable enough and can be distorted to the whims of a select few. We are a nation of laws, not a nation of men."
Luistro added that rejoining the ICC would reaffirm the Philippines' commitment to international norms and strengthen its legal framework in holding perpetrators of grave crimes accountable, regardless of their status, economic standing, or power.
The ICC earlier said it was closely monitoring the latest developments related to the controversial anti-illegal drug campaign during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, which is now the subject of an investigation by the Philippine Congress.
The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute which established the ICC in March 2018 when Duterte was still president. The withdrawal took effect a year later, also within the Duterte presidency.
The withdrawal was the basis of Duterte's and his allies' argument that the Philippines was not under ICC jurisdiction and therefore, should not cooperate with the ICC probe. — DVM, GMA Integrated News