Update

Other countries would soon withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the Philippines has declared it was exiting from the Rome Statute, which is the treaty that established the ICC, the spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte said.

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Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the ICC lost one of its strong advocates after it tried to acquire jurisdiction over the President.

“Ang Pilipinas lang naman ang aktibo na nag-iimbita sa ibang bansa na maging kasapi ng ICC. Ngayong aalis na po tayo tingin ko maraming estado ang bibitiw sa ICC…Wala ng pagasa ang ibang bansa sa Asya na maging myembro dahil wala ng advocate sa ICC,” he told Radyo Inquirer 990AM on Thursday.

(The Philippines is the only one actively inviting other countries to be part of the ICC. Now that we’re leaving, I think that many other states will leave ICC… There’s no hope for other countries in Asia to be a member because there’s no more advocate for the ICC.)

“Tingin ko po napakalaki ng nawala sa ICC dito sa ginawang panghihimasok ni Prosecutor sa ating bansa,” he added.

(I think it’s a huge loss for ICC in what the Prosecutor did in meddling in our country.)

Duterte announced the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC on Wednesday a month after Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she would start a preliminary examination on the complaint of crimes against humanity in relation to the President’s bloody war on drugs.

Roque stressed that the ICC can only exercise jurisdiction when local courts are incapable to do their jobs.

“Hindi dapat ‘yan umaaksyon habang bukas ang mga local na hukuman at may kakayahan na dinggin ang mga kaso…Ang nangyari po dito ay nanghimasok ang Prosecutor at alam niyang bukas ang mga hukuman…Alam nilang dalawang Presidente na ang nakulong pagkatapos ng kanilang paninilbihan so walang dahilan para manghimasok sa atin,” he pointed out.

(They should not act while local courts are still open and are able to hear the cases… What happened here is the Prosecutor is meddling and she knows that the courts are open… They know that two Presidents have been detained after their terms so they have no reason to meddle with us.)

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The spokesman, who was once grateful for the Philippines’ signing of the Rome Statute, said he was saddened by the withdrawal but he understood why it had to be done.

“Naiintindihan ko ang naging hakbang ng Presidente. Syempre nalungkot ako dahil ito ay produkto ng adbokasiya na maging myembro ng ICC pero naiintindihan ko yan. Mali talaga ang Prosecutor…may panahon pang natitira para gawin ang tama,” he said.

(I understand the measure of the President. Of course I’m saddened because this is the product of the advocacy to be a member of the ICC but I understand that. The Prosecutor is really wrong… there’s still time to do what is right.) /je/ac

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