Lacson supports restoring PH-ICC ties if elected president

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Panfilo Lacson is willing to rejoin the Rome Statute — placing the country under the International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction again — if he is elected president in the 2022 national elections.

During an online media forum on Thursday, Lacson said that he would have to consult foreign policy advisers, but his initial reaction is that he wants to rejoin the international agreement as it is the court of the powerless.

“The answer is yes.  Kasi dyan na tayo nagsimula — well kailangan ikonsulta ito sa ating foreign policy managers or ‘yong mga advisers. But ang initial reaction ko is yes, kasi ‘yan ang court para sa powerless,” Lacson told reporters.

“So off the cuff sasabihin ko sa iyo, yes, we should go back to the Rome Statute. But again kailangan alamin natin kasi kulang pa tayo sa datos — kasi after all ang foreign policy natin dapat naka-anchor palagi sa national interest, ano ba ‘yong mapapangalagaan natin na national interest kung babalik tayo sa Rome Statute […] But initially the answer is a clear yes,” he added.

In March 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte formalized the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute, based on beliefs that there is a concerted effort between the United Nations and the ICC to paint him as a human rights violator due to his bloody anti-drug campaign.

Duterte’s withdrawal also happened as groups were filing complaints against the Chief Executive for allegedly committing the crime against humanity of murder for his role in the war against illegal drugs.

Last September 15, ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber authorized requests from former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda for a full-blown probe of Duterte regarding the drug war, from the time he was Davao City mayor up to his presidency.

READ: Duterte does the inevitable, declares PH withdrawal from ICC

READ: ICC pre-trial chamber authorizes start of probe into Duterte’s drug war

On the other hand, Lacson’s vice-presidential running mate, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that the current administration has been too focused on law enforcement when the proper approach would have been to cut off demand by prevention.

Almost all members of the EU delegation, whom they met on Wednesday, concurred on this point, Sotto said.

“During the conversations we had with the ambassadors, I think they agreed if not all, most agreed to what I was explaining when the issue of EJK [extrajudicial killings] was mentioned. I explained to them that prevention and rehabilitation are more effectively addressing the problem of drug abuse than the present dispensation’s emphasis on enforcement and prosecution,” Sotto said.

“Much to be desired ang prosecution pero ang enforcement do’n nagkaroon ng problema sa EJK eh, dahil do’n sa Tokhang eh […] But as I said no’ng inexplika ko ‘yong programa namin, that there will be more emphasis in prevention and rehabilitation when it comes to the problem of illegal drug abuse, they agreed,” he added.

The war against illegal drugs has been a much-criticized aspect of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, as critics inside and outside the country deem it too harsh and abusive, without producing solid results like reducing the demand for illegal drugs.

Last March 2021, Lacson himself — a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief — said that the anti-drug campaign is a failure as the drug trade is still prevalent even if thousands of Filipinos have died during the program’s implementation.

READ: Drug war a ‘failure,’ Lacson says 

Duterte and his cabinet officials have insisted that they will not cooperate with any ICC probe, stressing that it no longer has jurisdiction in the country after the withdrawal.  However, legal experts and ICC itself stated that there is sufficient basis to proceed with the probe. The crime allegedly happened when the Philippines was still a signatory to the Rome Statute.

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JPV/abc