Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is contemplating on filing a petition at the Supreme Court (SC) to question the validity of President Rodrigo Duterte’s withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the international Criminal Court (ICC).
“I maintain my position that it is void from the start dahil nakalagay ‘yun na kailangan natin na sa pagpasok at paglabas sa treaty, kailangan ng ratification o concurrence ng Senado,” Trillanes said at the regular forum, Kapihan sa Senado, on Thursday.
The senator firmly believed that entering and withdrawing on such an important decision should require the concurrence of the Senate.
“Later on, maaari tayong mag-file ng isang petition sa Korte Suprema to question the validity of such withdrawal,” Trillanes said.
“And kagaya ng sa Supreme Court sa South Africa, nag decide sila na kailangan ng concurrence ng legislature. So noong sinabi dun na void ‘yung withdrawal ng South Africa sa ICC, ganun din ang mangyayari sa atin later on,” he also said.
Asked when he intends to file his petition at the SC, the senator said, “Medyo malalim na research ito but it will come. Gagawin at gagawin natin.”
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV at the Kapihan sa Senado forum. INQUIRER.net/CATHY MIRANDA
Last month, Duterte announced the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute, citing what he called a “concerted effort” between the United Nations special rapporteurs and the ICC special prosecutor to paint him as a “ruthless and heartless violator of human rights who allegedly caused thousands of extrajudicial killings.”
“I therefore declare and forthwith give notice, as the President of the Republic of the Philippines, that the Philippines is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute effective immediately,” the President said in a statement.
READ: Duterte does the inevitable, declares PH withdrawal from ICC
Duterte and other ranking government officials have been charged with crimes against humanity before the ICC in connection with the alleged killing of thousands of people purportedly under the administration’s bloody war on drugs. /kga