FILE PHOTO: This November 7, 2019, photo shows the International Criminal Court, or ICC, in The Hague, Netherlands. INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines — The International Criminal Court (ICC) appears to be “standing on shaky ground” as it forges ahead in its investigation into the violent drug war of the Duterte administration, Senator Robin Padilla said Wednesday.
Padilla, a known ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, expressed “full support” for the government’s move to “disengage” with the United Nations-backed tribunal after it rejected on Monday the government’s request to suspend the drug war probe pending the appeal to reverse the ruling authorizing the resumption of a full-blown investigation.
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“The ICC seems to be standing on shaky ground. It has no power to force itself on the sovereignty of our motherland–the Philippines,” the neophyte senator said in a statement.
He echoed Marcos’ claim that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country.
“Our Solicitor General has also said the Philippines has no legal or moral obligation to cooperate with the ICC,” Padilla added.
Marcos and several other government officials repeatedly raised the argument on ICC jurisdiction, citing the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2018.
READ: Duterte does the inevitable, declares PH withdrawal from ICC
But the ICC Pre-trial Chamber and the Supreme Court have both said that the Philippine government must comply with the probe, noting that the country’s withdrawal does not absolve it from the obligations it incurred when it was part of the international treaty that created the ICC.
READ: Duterte can’t evade ICC, end treaty on his own – Supreme Court
Padilla earlier filed a Senate resolution urging the upper chamber to “declare unequivocal defense” of former president Duterte in any inquiry or prosecution by the ICC.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, another ally of Duterte, had lodged a similar resolution asking the upper chamber to express its “strong opposition” to the ICC drug war probe.
READ: Duterte allies in Senate back bid to block ICC probe