‘No arguments over ICC probe on drug war’

by NEIL JAYSON SERVALLOS Philstar.com

MANILA — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla had expected to argue with the European Parliament’s delegates who visited the Philippines this week over the country’s human rights situation, but came away saying his discussion with them about the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s looming investigation was “not argumentative.”

Remulla met on Thursday afternoon, February 23 with members of the European Parliament that included Isabel Wiseler-Lima of the European

People’s Party, Karsten Lucke of the Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Hannah Neumann of The Greens and the European Free Alliance, Ryszard Czarnecki of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group and Miguel Urban Crespo of The Left.

He said the visit took place in the context of “open and regular engagement on human rights between the Philippines and the EU (European Union).” crimes against humanity to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

“What I told them is if the ICC really has a problem they want to investigate here, just give it to us, and we will do it. Because these are crimes committed in the Philippines, by Filipinos, right? Well, we’ll just do it ourselves. They no longer interjected,” Remulla told reporters after the meeting, saying the ICC conversation lasted no longer than three minutes.

Remulla told the parliamentarians that the government intends to convince the ICC to instead drop the task of investigating the alleged  PAGE A3

“After that, nothing else was said about the ICC. They didn’t interject anymore because we talked for a long time. Most