Vanessa Fernando
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has ruled that former president Rodrigo Duterte cannot use the remarks of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as part of his defense in the ongoing probe into the “war on drugs, on Monday, October 27.
Duterte’s lawyers tried to cite the President’s previous statement saying that the ICC should respect the Philippines' sovereignty.
“The Philippines has no more obligations to the ICC. We are not members anymore, and we will not cooperate with any investigation,” referring to the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.
However, the ICC Pre-trial Chamber I said that the reasoning cannot be used as legal evidence and does not affect the court’s jurisdiction over Duterte.
The tribunal clarified that the investigation covers alleged crimes committed from 2016 to 2019, when the Philippines was still part of the ICC.
The investigation focuses on thousands of killings linked to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. Human rights groups welcomed the ICC’s move, saying it upholds the independence of the court from political influence.
Duterte’s camp has yet to release an official response, but his lawyers are expected to continue contesting the ICC’s authority over the case.
