Group seeks to void withdrawal from ICC

MANILA -- A group that campaigned for the Philippines’ signing of the Rome Statute on Wednesday, June 13, filed a petition urging the Supreme Court to declare “void ab initio (from the beginning)” the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In its petition, the Philippine Coalition for the ICC said withdrawal from the ICC needs the concurrence of the Senate.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. shrugged off the petition and insisted that President Rodrigo Duterte does not need to seek the Senate’s consent to withdraw the Philippines’ membership from the ICC.

“We reiterate that the President is the chief architect of the country’s foreign policy,” said in a statement.

“The Constitution makes no mention that concurrence of the Senate is necessary to validate the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court,” he added.

The PCICC petition was filed nearly a month after minority senators urged the Supreme Court to invalidate Duterte’s move to pull out the Philippines’ membership as a state-party of the ICC.

The Senate minority bloc led by Senator Franklin Drilon, in its petition filed last May 16, argued that the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC was “invalid and ineffective” since it lacks Senate’s concurrence.

PCICC, chaired by former Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales, also claimed that the President needs the Senate’s nod before issuing a notice of withdrawal from the ICC.