Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 29) — President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that he still has no copy of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court signed by the Philippines.
In 2018, Duterte said the country would pull out from the ICC “effective immediately” following criticisms of his administration, which he said were “engineered by the officials of the United Nations”, as well as the attempt by the ICC special prosecutor to put him under jurisdiction.
But the Supreme Court said the Philippines is still obliged to cooperate after former ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda requested for an authorization to look into the crime against humanity allegedly committed in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
During his weekly address, he explained he has no copy of the statute because it was not published in the Official Gazette. Publication in the Official Gazette is a requirement before any law takes effect in the country.
Duterte has repeatedly shrugged this off and said that he would only face a Philippine court if his anti-illegal drugs campaign would be investigated.
“Wala akong kopya hanggang ngayon sa Rome Statute (I don’t have a copy of the Rome Statute up to now). Wala akong copy (I don’t have a copy). I do not know what I committed, whether it’s a crime, a wrong, I don’t know,” Duterte said.
The President also said his move to withdraw from the statute in 2019 was an empty gesture.
“I’ve never read that document and so wala talaga akong alam kung ano iyang demonyo na yan (I really do not know what that devil is) now you want me prosecuted,” he said.
“Ang winithdraw ko (what I withdrew) was nothing really. It was an empty gesture kasi (because) there was nothing to withdraw in the first place. Ginawa ko lang iyun (I did it) just to impress upon everybody. I was really withdrawing nothing,” he added.
The Philippines became a signatory to the Rome Statute of the ICC in 2000 and ratified it in 2011, becoming its 117th State Party.
