Imbestigasyon ng ICC sa WAR ON DRUGS ni Duterte, KASADO NA! | with Carlos Conde
President Rodrigo Duterte and his administration have their backs against the wall as the International Criminal Court (ICC) pre-trial chamber authorised the investigation into the country’s “war on drugs”.
In a podcast episode with PressOne.ph, Human Rights Watch Asian Division Senior Researcher, Carlos Conde, explained that Duterte is in “serious trouble” because there is no way around the ICC inquiry.
“Alam naman nila e, na wala silang lusot dyan. There’s just no way around it,” Conde said.
The ICC will look at President Rodrigo Duterte’s term and during his term as mayor and vice-mayor of Davao City.
However, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, Salvador Panelo, said the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines stressing that the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute last March 2019 and that the government will not cooperate with the investigation.
“The foreign institution has no — as it never had — jurisdiction over the affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and its people,” Panelo said.
Conde, however, explained that the Philippines is still covered by the ICC’s jurisdiction despite the membership withdrawal. He also said that the ICC has the resources to conduct its investigation without stepping foot in the country.
“Under the Rome Statute, yung mga krimen na ginawa inakusahan na nung miyembro pa kayo, kasama sa imbestigation yan, malinaw yan. Kahit anong palusot-lusot nila, hindi nila mababago yan. Sinasabi lang nila yan, pang-propaganda lang nila sa mga tao” Conde said.
He further explained that the ICC investigation focuses on the state policy of the government on the war on drugs. This would mean that individuals who carried out the order may be prosecuted as well.
“Halimbawa mawala na si Duterte, mamatay na sya. Tingin ko sa ginawang desisyon ng ICC na emphasis sa state policy, hindi lang si Duterte ang malalagot dito, wala paring lusot yung mga lower rankings sa kanya,” Conde explained.
Conde noted that the current administration’s lack of accountability and punishment to those who committed atrocious crimes has similarities with the administration of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
“Dito natin makikita yung papel ng accountability, na hangga’t walang maayos at genuine accountability sa mga pag-aabuso sa karapatang pantao, pag-aabuso sa puder, talagang tutulou at tutuloy yan” Conde added. – Elan Karsten Castañares