Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21) — The resolutions filed by lawmakers defending former President Rodrigo Duterte from the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation on his bloody drug war has no bearing on the proceedings, a lawyer said.
“No, that’s a political branch of government, that’s the legislative, or law-making branch speaking for a judicial independent body or judicial proceeding,” Atty. Kristina Conti, who is assistant to counsel at the ICC, told CNN Philippines’ The Source when asked about the matter.
After the ICC’s pre-trial chamber authorized the resumption of the probe, lawmakers including Senior Deputy Speaker and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo filed House Resolution (HR) 780 urging the lower chamber to declare its “unequivocal defense” of Duterte.
For Conti, the House members saying the former chief executive deserves the protection of the Philippine government “is uncalled for and should not be taken well by our government.”
In the upper chamber, Senators Robin Padilla and Jinggoy Estrada filed a separate resolution strongly opposing the probe. Estrada called it disrespectful of the Philippines sovereignty as it undermines the country’s judicial system.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also said he cannot cooperate with the ICC since the Philippines is a sovereign nation and “we are not colonies anymore of these former imperialists.”
“I think it’s a matter of ability if you say can and cannot,” Conti pointed out.
She explained that the government can still cooperate in the process by submitting documents and sharing information that the ICC needs.
“I think this is really a whole of nation approach to say that we will not cooperate because we will protect President Duterte,\” she added. \” Of course, that will not be tenable to the international community.\”
The lawyer also said in the case of Pangilinan vs. Cayetano, the Supreme Court ruled that the Philippines should cooperate in the probe and the country still has obligations to the ICC being a member from 2011 to 2019.
For now, Conti said the investigation should proceed as they also wait for the result on the appeal of the Philippine government to reverse the pre-trial chamber’s decision to resume the drug war probe.
