Lawyer Romeo Cabarde, Jr., Vice-chairperson of the Amnesty International Philippines
BAGUIO CITY–The withdrawal of the Philippines from the International Criminal Court (ICC) may convince other member countries accused of widespread human rights violations to also leave the world court, according to Amnesty International (AI).
The withdrawal has sent the message that “powerful people in the Philippines are more interested in covering up their responsibility for the human rights violations than ensuring justice for the victims,” Romeo Cabarde Jr., vice chair of AI Philippines, said here on Friday.
Cabarde, who discussed the 2017 AI report on the state of the worldís human rights in a forum here, said President Duterte should rethink his position because the Rome Statute that created the ICC was intended to protect all Filipinos.
‘Refuge of victims’
“The ICC is the refuge of victims of human rights violations when internal processes are not working,” he said.
“In order for Mr. Duterte to meet his human rights obligations and keep the United Nations at bay, if that is his objective, he should refrain from doing and saying negative things and instead ensure that positive steps are taken to address issues that raise questions for many Filipinos,” he added.
The Philippines became the 177th member country of the ICC in 2011 after the Senate ratified the Rome Statute. The statute has been ratified by 123 nations so far.
Mr. Duterte pulled the country out of the ICC last week, claiming the court “ignored due process” when it started a preliminary examination of allegations of extrajudicial killings in his administrationís war on drugs.
Follow the lead
During the Philippine Military Academy graduation rites here on Sunday, Mr. Duterte urged other countries to follow his lead and pull out of the ICC.
An ICC prosecutor announced the start of a preliminary examination of the governmentís war on drugs following a complaint filed by lawyer Jude Sabio in April 2017.
Sabio is the counsel for confessed Davao Death Squad hitman Edgar Matobato, who claimed to have killed people in Davao City allegedly on orders of then Mayor Duterte.
Mr. Duterte had dismissed Matobatoís claims as an old fabrication that the Commission on Human Rights investigators had failed to prove years ago.
Cabarde urged Mr. Duterte to call for a “sincere and honest to goodness” investigation of extrajudicial killings. –KARLSTON LAPNITEN