JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday insisted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) lacks authority to probe parties allegedly involved in extra-judicial killings during the last administration’s bloody war on drugs.

” I don’t get it. Why they insist on entering the Philippines instead of the fact that we are no longer members.. I do not welcome this move of theirs. And I will not welcome them to the Philippines unless they make it clear that they will respect us in this regard. I will not stand for any of this antics that will tend to question our sovereignty, our status as a sovereign country. We will not accept that, ” Remulla said in a press briefing.

The former congressman from Cavite was responding to ICC’s decision to resume its investigation into the alleged atrocities committed during the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.

According to Remulla, the ICC investigation is absurd and “wrong” because the Philippines has a functioning justice system independent from foreign intrusion.

“As a country, we are doing what it takes to fix the system. And we are a fully functioning judicial system. I don’t see where they will come in. What role they will play, unless they want to take over our legal system or they want to take over our country. and I don’t see that happening, ” Remulla said.

Remulla continued that the ICC is bereft of” compulsory process” to require the Philippine government to answer the complaints pending before it.

“They will have no compulsary process in the country. They will not even be empowered to issue subpoenas in the country. They have not even coordinated with us about it. So if they want to come in as a hostile government, as a hostile force, come in. But they cannot do that to us, ” Remulla said.

He continued:” The ICC is very wrong right now because we are doing what it takes to change the situation and to build capacity in the country to be able to address all of these problems that came up before.”

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Hector Lawas