Duterte mulls an ICC exit

WARNING: He tells world counterparts not to lecture him on human rights

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte threatened to follow in Russia’s footsteps on Thursday and pull his country out of the International Criminal Court, incensed at foreign criticism of his deadly drug war.

Russia dealt the International Criminal Court a fresh blow on Wednesday as the court’s top officials urged nations to support the tribunal hit by a wave of unprecedented defections.

“The court did not live up to the hopes associated with it and did not become truly independent,” Russia’s foreign ministry said, describing its work as “one-sided and inefficient”.

The move came only days after The Gambia on Monday formally notified the United Nations it was leaving the ICC, following in the footsteps of South Africa and Burundi.

“Don’t go,” pleaded Senegalese minister Sidiki Kaba, the president of the ICC’s Assembly of State Parties as he opened an eight-day meeting.

“In a world criss-crossed by violent extremism, it is urgent and necessary to defend the ideal of justice for all.”

Duterte, speaking in his hometown here before flying to Peru for a regional summit, said: “They (Russians) may have thought the International Criminal Court is (useless), so they withdrew their membership. I might follow. Why? Because these shameless bullies only pick on small countries like us.”

The Philippines is among 124 countries that are members of the UN-backed ICC, the world’s only permanent war crimes court.

Duterte also repeated an earlier threat to pull the country out of the UN, saying the world body had failed to stop wars that had killed “thousands” of women and children.

“You know if China and Russia would decide to create a new order, I will be the first to join,” he added.

Duterte won May elections in a landslide after vowing an unprecedented crackdown on illegal drugs and killing tens of thousands of drug dealers.

More than 4,000 people have been killed since he took office on June 30 and the killings have drawn criticism from Manila’s key defence ally the United States, as well as the UN.

Last month, the ICC’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she was “deeply concerned” about thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, warning that those responsible could face prosecution.

Duterte challenged Ban and international human rights experts to visit the country and investigate the allegations, while insisting his government had done nothing illegal.

On Thursday, ahead of the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima, he warned his international counterparts, including Obama, not to lecture him on human rights.

“They will really get it from me, and I will lecture them on the finer points of civilisation,” he said.

“You threaten us as if we are your labourers and threaten to have me jailed. Me, go to jail? You, children of whores, I will take you all down with me.” AFP