ICC defies Duterte’s warning on probe

A senior official of the UN International Criminal Court (ICC) defied a Philippine government warning banning the visit into the country of tribunal investigators to look into alleged rampant human rights violations especially extra judicial killings in the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs.

Fatou Bensouda of the ICC Office of Prosecutor was reacting to a Malacananng Palace statement that it would deny visas to tribunal investigators to come to the Philippines and look into the alleged killings.

“Pursuant to Article 127.2 of the (Rome) Statute and based on ICC judicial ruling in the situation in Burundi, the count retains its jurisdiction over crimes commited during the time in which the State was party to the Statute and may exercise the jurisdiction even ater the withdrawal became effective,” Bensouda pointed out.

Bensouda, in her post in the International Court on the Twiter account on March 17 when the Phililppine withdrawal took effect, added: “My office’s independent and important preliminary examination into the situation in the Philippines continues.”

In particular, Bensouda said their investigation on alleged extra judicial killings arising from the war on drugs would continue on the cases when the Philippines was still part of the ICC based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Under the Statute of Rome which set up the ICC and signed by the Philippines and other countries, the tribunal has jurisdiction to try individuals and world leaders accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war grime and crime of aggression.

In the case of President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte, he was accused of alleged crimes against humanity for the alleged rampant human rights violations due to the campaign against illegal drugs when it was launched in July 2016.

On Monday, Salvador Panelo, the presiden- tial spokesman, warned they would bar ICC investigators from visiting the country if they would insist on looking into the alleged extra judicial killings.

Panelo rejected reports that the ICC might continue looking into such allegations while the Philippines was part of the ICC despite the country’s withdrawal from the tribunal which formally took effect on March 17.

The withdrawal became effective exactly a year ater the Philippines formally wrote the Office of the UN secretary general to quit the ICC as mandated by the Statute of Rome.

Manolo B. Jara