đź“·Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) holds jurisdiction over individuals accused of violating international humanitarian law, regardless of the Philippines’ withdrawal from the tribunal.
During the Senate hearing on the recent arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, March 20, Remulla said there is a difference between state and individual accountability under the ICC’s mandate.
“It is not the Philippines that is under the ICC but it is the individual who is charged for crimes against humanity,” he said.
Senator Imee Marcos, in her opening statement, had already expressed strong opposition to the ICC’s involvement, framing it as an affront to Philippine sovereignty.
“Since when did the Philippines become [a] province of The Hague?” Marcos asked.
“Here we are watching as a fellow Filipino, a leader, a father, and a grandfather, a man who served this country, is taken not by his own people but by outsiders who claim to have the right to judge him.”
Marcos further warned of the potential consequences of allowing the ICC to intervene in domestic matters. “If they can march into our house and take one of our own, what’s stopping them from doing it again and again? To you, to me, to any of us?” she said.
Remulla, however, sought to clarify that the ICC’s jurisdiction is limited to individuals accused of grave crimes under international law, rather than the nation as a whole.
The Senate investigation on Duterte’s arrest comes amid renewed discussions over the ICC’s investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings under Duterte’s war on drugs. The former president, who led the controversial anti-narcotics campaign during his term, has remained defiant against international scrutiny.
While the Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC in 2019, the court claims jurisdiction over crimes committed during the period when the country was still a member. (TCSP)
