Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 21) — Six senators will meet their counterparts from the European Parliament to discuss human rights on Wednesday, Senator Francis Tolentino said.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Tolentino said it will be a closed-door “special six-plus-six” dialogue between members of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, which he chairs, and their counterparts in the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights.Tolentino said he will be joined by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Robin Padilla, and one other colleague. The meeting will take place at the Senate building in Pasay City.They sought the meeting… the European Union,” Tolentino said.I think it has something to do with – everything about human rights,” he added. “I think they’re hearing the resolutions concerning ICC, lahat na iyon siguro [that’s probably all].
He was referring to the resolutions filed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives seeking to defend former President Rodrigo Duterte from the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the war on drugs.
Tolentino said he supports the proposed resolutions, noting that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines since the country is no longer a party to the Rome Statute which created the tribunal.In fact, I will raise that tomorrow,” he said.Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, for her part, said lawmakers have the right to file that resolution, but she’s looking forward to progress in the ICC probe.Isa talaga ako sa nag-aabang sa mga ICC investigation kasi sa mga nakaraang taon, napatunayan, unfortunately, na hindi kinakaya ng ating national judicial system na talagang imbestigahan, kasuhan at lalo na ma-convict si Mr. Duterte sa mga extrajudicial killings noong war on drugs. Kaya kinakailangan ang isang ICC investigation,” Hontiveros said.
