DOJ: No need for VP Duterte’s appeal vs ICC probe
MANILA, Philippines — There is no need for Vice President Sara Duterte to urge the Department of Justice (DOJ) not to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the previous administration’s drug war as the justice department’s stand remains the same.
“Hindi naman po kailangan mag-request dahil hindi naman po nagbago ang stance ng DOJ,” DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said on Tuesday during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.
(There is no need to request because the DOJ’s stance has not changed.)
“Dito po sa amin sa DOJ, sa ngayon, ito pa rin ‘yung stand namin na wala pa ring jurisdiction ‘yung ICC, although of course magiging bukas kami if ever mayroon po tayong nakikitang pagbabago sa polisiya,” he added.
(Here at the DOJ, for now, we still stand that the ICC still has no jurisdiction, although, of course, we will be open if we ever see a change in policy.)
When asked whether there is a chance that the country will be a part of the ICC again, Clavano reiterated that it is still under study.
“Malayo pa po ‘yan, dahil pinag-aaralan pa rin po natin ‘yan,” he said.
(That’s still a long way off because we’re still studying it.)
“Ayaw natin na mukha tayong balimbing, kailangan natin maging deliberate, kailangan natin pag-aralan nang mabuti,” he added.
(We don’t want to look like we are constantly switching sides. We need to be deliberate; we need to study carefully.)
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