Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro has reiterated the recent appeal made by the European Union (EU) for the Philippines to re-enter the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This call comes in light of the ICC’s request for witnesses to contribute to the investigation concerning former President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Luistro expressed disapproval of Duterte’s 2019 choice to withdraw from the Rome Statute, particularly after ICC prosecutors announced their intention to investigate the drug war, which the government has acknowledged led to over 6,000 fatalities.
Luistro stated that this decision “conveyed an inappropriate message to the international community” and “highlighted the vulnerability of our democratic institutions.”
“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,” she said.
“[Rejoining the ICC] would reaffirm the country’s commitment to international norms and strengthen its legal framework in holding perpetrators of grave crimes accountable, that regardless of their status, economic standing, or power, no one is above the law,” Luistro said.
Luistro’s statement came in response to Niclas Kvarnström, the EU’s Asia-Pacific chief, who indicated that the Philippines remains within the ICC’s legal jurisdiction and should reassess its decision to withdraw.
“It is imperative for the Philippines to take an unqualified position in its membership in the ICC, not to mention that these commitments are anchored on values that are parallel with that of the Philippines, as enshrined in the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Philippine Constitution,” she stressed.
President Marcos previously emphasized that his administration would not engage with the ICC’s current investigation; however, he also indicated that it would not obstruct the process, which some analysts interpret as a reluctance to protect his predecessor.
Furthermore, the Department of Justice noted that if the ICC were to issue arrest warrants through Interpol, the Philippines would be required to comply. (ZIA LUNA)
