Davao del Norte vows to eliminate child labor

Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib on Thursday vowed to increase its efforts in protecting child rights and eliminating all forms of child labor.

Governor Edwin Jubahib made the assurance after the visit of ChildFund International Country Director Anand Vishwakarma to his office on Wednesday.

“We will continue to bolster our campaign in protecting the rights of our children and to prevent, reduce, and stop any form of child labor in Davao del Norte,” he said in a statement.

Reacting to the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) junking the Philippine government’s appeal to suspend its investigation of killings linked to his administration’s “war on drugs,” former President Rodrigo R. Duterte said on Wednesday he was ready to “face the music.” bency that he would “stake my name, my honor and the presidency itself” to rid the country of criminality, particularly the problem of illegal drugs, as he claimed to have done in Davao City where he served as mayor for over two decades.

Speaking during the 32nd National Convention of the Prosecutors League of the Philippines at the SMX Convention Center Davao, Duterte maintained he only did what he ought to do as the chief executive to address the problem of illegal drugs in the country.

He said he does not care about the ICC probe which would look into the possible human rights violations committed during the bloody war on drugs enforced during his administration.

“Wala akong pakialam basta ginagawa ko ang dapat kung gawin (I don’t care. I only did what I had to do). If it turns out to be awful later, wala tayong magawa (there is nothing we can do). I will face the music, I will rot in prison, and I will die in prison,” he said.

“It is a matter of principle for me. And I will die for it. If I am to rot in prison, so be it,” he said.

In a statement released on Wednesday, lawyer Kristina Conti, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers-National Capital Region said it is all systems go for the ICC prosecutor’s investigation after the Appeals Chamber of the ICC dismissed the government’s request for suspension of its probe into Duterte’s war on drugs.

“So far, the ICC proceedings is on track and aligned with our search for genuine justice for the victims of grave rights violations,” Conti said.

She said the “Philippines’ Request for Suspensive Effect would have delayed the ICC investigation, which has already been approved by the Pre-trial Chamber first, in September 2021, and again, in January

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He said he already made it clear early on in his incum-