Cooperate with ICC — lawmaker
“COOPERATE with the International Criminal Court.”
This call of Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” M. Abante Jr. and 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo L. Gutierrez was made through House Resolution 1477.
The resolution stressed that the Constitution declares that “the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect of human rights.”
The government has clearly demonstrated that it “respects the rule of international law and recognizes the proceedings of the ICC” as evidenced by its initial request to the ICC to defer its investigation, as well as its subsequent petition to the ICC Appeals Chamber.
The House resolution pointed out that despite the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the jurisdiction of the ICC was reinforced by the Supreme Court of the Philippines when it rendered a judgment stating that “the ICC retains jurisdiction over any and all acts committed by government actors until March 17, 2019.” Jester Manalastas
The ICC has maintained that it retains jurisdiction with respect to any alleged crime that occurred in the Philippines while it was a State Party to the Rome Statute, from November 1, 2011 up to March 16, 2019.
Given the foregoing, the appropriate government departments are urged “to extend their full cooperation to the ICC Prosecutor with respect to its investigation of any alleged crime within the jurisdiction of the ICC.”
The Philippines is the second country to withdraw from the ICC. It followed Burundi, which left the ICC in 2017.
Reports said that the ICC is investigating the “bloody” war on drug during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
