The government is unfazed by the move of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to seek the views of victims of alleged crimes linked to the war on drugs.
According to Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, it would be difficult to build a case if the Philippine government would not cooperate with such inquiry.
"The ICC can do whatever it wants," Roque said during a televised press briefing Tuesday, June 29.
"Pero iyong isang chamber po ng ICC ay minsan sinabi na talagang dapat hindi na nag-iimbestiga kung wala namang kooperasyon kasi paano ka nga magkakaroon ng case build up kung walang kooperasyon doon sa member state (But a chamber of the ICC once said there shouldn't be any investigation if there is no cooperation because how can you build a case without the cooperation of the member-state)," he added
President Duterte recently unleashed a profanity-laced tirade against the ICC, saying he would rather stand on trial before a Filipino judge in the country than face the "white people" in the ICC. He expressed doubt that he would obtain justice before ICC, which he claimed, were composed of colonizers who "have not atoned for their sins against the countries they invaded."
"Alam din po ng ICC (The ICC knows) without cooperation from the state, napakahirap po ng case build up because all criminal cases, even in the ICC and most especially in the ICC, must present real evidence and not just newspaper reports," Roque said.
The ICC recently posted a statement stating the alleged crime victims have the right to submit "representations" in line with the body's legal framework. The statement came after ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda asked the tribute to open an investigation into the alleged crimes against humanity committed in the Philippine government's war on drugs.
The ICC said the victims may "provide their views, concerns and expectations regarding the Prosecutor's request to the ICC Judges for their consideration." The Victims Participation and Reparations Section of the Registry may assist the victims in submitting representations.
The body however clarified that this was not yet the application process for participation in court proceedings against an accused person or for obtaining reparations before the ICC.
"The process initiated by the Prosecutor is limited to the submission of victims' views, concerns and expectations on the Prosecutor's request to open an investigation regarding alleged murder and other crimes which are sufficiently linked to the 'war on drugs' campaign as set out above," it said.
"Should such proceedings arise in the future, victims interested in applying to participate in such judicial proceedings before the ICC and/or for reparations will have to fill in a separate application form which will be made available then," it added.
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