Human rights lawyer Kristina Conti criticized Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte for his remarks on the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the lawmaker displayed “fundamental ignorance” of the tribunal’s jurisdiction in relation to the ongoing US-Israel attacks on Iran and Palestine.
Conti stressed that the ICC, created under the Rome Statute, is a court of law, not a peacekeeping body.
“Kung may institusyon na dapat na tumayo habang nagkakabombahan, mas United Nations dapat at hindi ICC,” she said, noting that only Jordan, Palestine, and Tunisia are ICC members in the West Asia/Middle East region. Iran, Kuwait, and the UAE have signed but not ratified the Rome Statute, while the US and Israel remain outside the court’s jurisdiction.
“Minsan, masaya rin talaga mag-conspiracy theory. Pero the world does not revolve around you,” Conti said.
She added that the ICC asserted jurisdiction over former president Rodrigo Duterte because the Philippines was a member from 2011 to 2019, covering the period when widespread killings were allegedly ordered from his time as Davao mayor through his presidency.
“Kaya nakakulong si Duterte ay dahil nag-utos siya ng malawakang patayan,” Conti said, dismissing conspiracy theories and emphasizing that accountability stems from international law, not personal narratives. (ZIA LUNA)
