PH to ‘stop engaging’ with ICC despite probe

By Rey E. Requejo, Charles Dantes and Macon Ramos-Araneta

FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte, who initiated a bloody war on drugs that killed thousands of suspects during his term, should stay away from countries where the International Criminal Court (ICC) has influence, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday.

Remulla said the same holds true for Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who led the war on drugs when he was Duterte’s national police chief.

Both are subjects of an ICC investigation triggered by charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed under Duterte’s leadership.

Remulla also said the Philippines will stop engaging with the ICC as he will advise the Office of the Solicitor General to stop engaging with the court.

“They are citizens of the republic who also need our protection so we need to tell them,” Remulla said, as he pointed out that countries to be avoided are those in Europe.

On ICC’s prosecutors, the Justice chief said in Filipino: “We don’t need them in our country. We don’t want them coming over here. And they shouldn’t try coming over because what they’ll do is the usurpation of the authority of the Philippine government.”