Palace: ICC will waste time, money if it pursues probe on Duterte drug war

MANILA, Philippines — It would be a waste of time and resources for the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it pursues an investigation on the alleged crimes against humanity in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this after the ICC said there is a “reasonable basis to believe” that crimes against humanity were committed in President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal drug war.

Roque reiterated that ICC does not have jurisdiction over the Philippines after the country withdrew from the treaty that established ICC.

READ: ICC finds ‘reasonable basis’ to believe crimes against humanity committed in Duterte’s drug war

The Palace official even claimed that the ICC itself dropped a previous investigation where the member-state being investigated did not cooperate.

“Bahala po sila kung anong gusto nilang gawin, hindi po natin kinikilala ang hurisdiksyon ng ICC. At ang desisyon ng ICC mismo sa kaso ng mga Amerikano doon sa Afghanistan ay nagsabi na kapag walang kooperasyon e bakit kapa magsisimula ng imbestigasyon,” Roque said.

(They can do whatever they want but we do not acknowledge the jurisdiction of ICC over the Philippines. In the case against Americans in Afghanistan, the ICC itself said why it should continue with the if there’s no cooperation from the member-state.)

“Sayang lang ang pera at oras,” he added.

(It’s just a waste of money and time.)

In her report released Monday, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her office will decide on whether to seek authorization to open an investigation into the situation in the Philippines in the first half of 2021.

KGA