By Gistflash News
Sept 16, 2021
Philippine President, Rodrigo Duterte’s legal counsel, says the International Criminal Court (ICC) has no jurisdiction to investigate killings under the “war on drugs” campaign of the administration.
Chief presidential legal counsel, said on Thursday that Salvador Panelo, added that the ICC’s decision to open a full investigation neither bothered nor troubled the president and his administration.
“The foreign institution has no and never had jurisdiction over the affairs of the Republic of the Philippines and its people.
“We stress that we are able and willing to prosecute those who abuse their power and commit crimes against the citizenry, if only genuine complainants come forward to the proper authorities instead of personalities who will use their plight for political ambitions,’’ he said in a statement.
Panelo also noted that since the authorisation to investigate was given more than two years after the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC took effect in March 2019, “there is no longer any matter for the ICC to pursue.’’
In authorising a full probe on Wednesday, the ICC’s pre-trial chamber said it still had jurisdiction because the alleged crimes took place between July 1, 2016 and March 2019, when the withdrawal took effect.
The war on drugs was launched by Duterte after he was elected president in 2016 on an anti-crime platform.
More than 7,000 people had been killed in police operations against illegal drugs in the Philippines in the past five years.
Human rights groups have alleged that the toll could even be three times that number.
dpa/NAN
