Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 17) — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Monday said the Philippine government will not execute arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) should it proceed to resume its investigation into the drug war under the Duterte administration.
Wala silang gagawin dito. Wala silang kinalaman dito. Anong gagawin nila? Papasukin nila tayo? Gusto ba nilang pasukin tayo bilang kolonya na naman?” Remulla said a day before the ICC’s appeal chamber is set to announce its decision on whether to resume the probe.[Translation: They have nothing to do here. What will they do? Invade us? Do they want to invade us like a colony again?]The ICC has insisted that it has jurisdiction over crimes of international concern that occurred in the country when the Philippines was still a member of the Rome statute, the treaty that established the court.
EXPLAINER: ICC and its authority
Remulla reiterated that the government would not allow the ICC to interfere as he stressed that the country has its own legal system.
If the investigation resumes, the Justice secretary says it would only prove that politics is involved in ICC decisions.Meron pong political agenda ang mga taong may nais makialam sa kalayaan ng Republika ng Pilipinas at sa ating sovereignty,” he said.[Translation: Those who want to interfere with the freedom of the Republic of the Philippines and its sovereignty have a political agenda.]Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra has admitted that he is not too optimistic that the decision would favor the government.
But whatever the outcome, Guevarra said the government’s investigation and prosecution of alleged abuses in the notorious drug war will continue.
Meanwhile, Kristina Conti, lawyer of some of the families of drug war victims and secretary general of National Union of Peoples Lawyers, said in a statement that they hope “the ICC Appeals Chamber to be fair and wise in its decision, to be enlightened and compassionate.”
“The court has so far comported itself as victim-centered, engaging us in various stages of the proceeding,” the ICC assistant to counsel added, emphasizing that they will continue to cooperate with the ICC’s requests for information, views and concerns.
Conti also said she hopes the decision “will be a turn in the tide against impunity in the Philippines.”
According to government data, Duterte’s war on drugs claimed over 6,000 lives, but local and international human rights organizations estimate an even higher tally of between 12,000 and 30,000 deaths.
