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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Gov't deferment request means Duterte admin recognizes ICC jurisdiction — Trillanes

Gov't deferment request means Duterte admin recognizes ICC jurisdiction — Trillanes

Published Nov 20, 2021 03:45 pm

The Duterte administration may have made a blunder by requesting the International Criminal Court (ICC) to defer its investigation on President Duterte’s war on drugs, according to an assessment made by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

“More importantly, with the deferment request, the Duterte administration formally recognized ICC’s jurisdiction over it, which is a total reversal of their earlier assertions,” Trillanes said in a statement on Saturday, Nov. 20.

He said that the ICC’s move was only part of its “due process to determine if the government’s EJK (extrajudicial killings) investigation is genuine.”

A report from ICC said it has suspended the investigative activities on Duterte’s bloody war against illegal drugs following a request from the Philippine government.

“The Prosecution has temporarily suspended its investigative activities while it assesses the scope and effect of the deferral request,” a report of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan read.

This was confirmed by Cabinet Secretary and Acting Presidential Spokesperson Karlo Nograles, who welcomed the suspension.

“We welcome the judiciousness of the new ICC prosecutor, who has deemed it fit to give the matter a fresh look,” said Nograles.

“We reiterate that it is the position of the Philippine government that the International has no jurisdiction over it,” he noted.

READ: Malacañang welcomes suspension of ICC probe on drug war

Trillanes, however, still believes the ICC will resume its investigation.

“In a few months, the ICC will also find out that it is just part of the cover-up of Duterte and, therefore, we should expect it to resume its investigation,” he said.

Official figures said the war on drugs campaign killed more than 8,000 people, but human rights watchers said the number can balloon up to 30,000.

The ICC has since opened an investigation into the drug war after finding evidence of “crimes against humanity.”

But Duterte maintained that he will not submit himself for investigation before the ICC because it has no jurisdiction over a domestic matter.

Trillanes and former Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano filed a supplemental communication before the ICC in The Hague in 2017.

The supplement said the “State is unwilling to even investigate the extrajudicial killings in the country and because of the President’s immunity, unable to prosecute President Duterte.”

Related Tags

President Duterte Karlo Nograles ICC probe drug war crimes against humanity antonio trillanes iv
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