Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. AFP FILE PHOTO
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has nominated Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago as the country’s candidate for judge of the Hague-based International Criminal Court which will hold in New York the election of judges in December.
Acting Foreign Secretary Antonio V. Rodriguez announced Santiago’s nomination at the closing of a symposium on International Humanitarian Law Day sponsored by the DFA Friday where Santiago was the keynote speaker.
“I was just informed this afternoon that I was nominated as judge to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the nomination had been approved by the President,” Santiago said in an interview.
Rodriguez said Santiago was nominated for her expertise in international humanitarian law, experience in criminal law and her known advocacy for the Rome Statute of the ICC.
The 2011 ICC election will be held on December 12-21 during the 10th session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York.
Rodriguez also said that through Santiago’s candidacy “the Philippines signifies its intention to directly and actually fight against impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern.”
Santiago said she has a better chance of winning a position as ICC judge.
“Although modest I have a better chance in winning the ICC slot than as International Court Justice because with ICC the members have no veto power unlike the ICJ,” Santiago said.
She explained that ICJ members could vote against you even if you have won the contest.
In her case, she explained that ICJ member countries had voted to veto her inclusion in the ICJ panel of judges.
“My stand on the VFA, the Jpepa, my friendship with the Dalai Lama of Tibet were among the reasons they vetoed my inclusion,” Santiago said.
Hague for 9 years
Santiago said she would soon leave for the Hague to start her campaign.
She said that if she wins she would resign from the Senate and stay in the Hague for the next nine years.
She also said that while the ICJ exercises jurisdiction over states, the ICC has jurisdiction over individuals.
“Like in the case of Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi the ICC had just issued a warrant against him for war crimes in his country,” Santiago said.
The country has recently been a member of the ICC, making the Philippines its 117th member.