Palace: Trillanes ‘squirming’ over lawyer’s withdrawal of ICC case vs Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is probably “squirming” after lawyer Jude Sabio withdrew the complaint he filed against President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malacañang said Wednesday.

Sabio, lawyer of self-confessed member of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) Edgar Matobato, has withdrawn the complaint charging the President with crimes against humanity in his brutal war on drugs, saying it was just a “political propaganda” from the opposition.

“Trillanes must be squirming in his disgraced retirement by Sabio’s turnabout. Lies can only be sustained for some time. When conscience haunts and torments the peddler, it melts by the heat of truth,” Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“Slowly but surely, the destabilizers of the Duterte administration are being undressed. Their obnoxious smell like ashfall pollute the air,” he added.

Despite Sabio’s withdrawal of the complaint, Trillanes said this will have “no effect” to the international court’s investigation.

Panelo also called on the ICC to “wake up from its stupor if not for ignorance” that it is being used to damage the reputation of the President.

“It should realize by now that it is being used by disgruntled and discredited persons to advance their goal of besmirching the reputation of PRRD and achieving their impossible dream of bringing down the Duterte presidency,” Panelo said.

Panelo then reiterated that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country.

“More importantly, it should recognize the unalterable legal fact that it has no jurisdiction over the President, and for that matter, the Philippines,” he said.

The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2017. However, the international court earlier said it would continue looking into Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Edited by MUF