ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (left), and Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB. Facebook)

A "shameless interference" in the work of Congress. 

That's how Makabayan solon ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro described Vice President Sara Duterte's statement wherein she "reminded" House members to follow President Marcos' supposed rejection of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) planned probe in the Philippines. 

"Nagtataka lang ako doon sa ating Vice President, doon sa kaniyang statement, doon sa kaniyang shameless interference sa trabaho ng co-equal branch like the Congress," Castro, a deputy minority leader in the House of Representatives, said in a virtual press conference Friday, Nov. 24. 

(I am mystified by the statement of our Vice President, by her shameless interference in the work of a co-equal branch like Congress.)

"Ginagawa natin ang ating tungkulin. Baka siya yung unconstitutional na ginagamit pa yung letterhead ng OVP (Office of the Vice President) to influence, i-lecture kami, or even threaten the House dito sa pagdinig kaugnay ng resolusyon para mag-cooperate ang gobyernong Pilipinas doon sa imbestigasyon ng ICC," the lady solon said, referring to the Vice President. 

(We are performing our duty. She might be the one who is unconstitutionally using the letterhead of the OVP to influence, lecture, and even threaten the House when it comes to resolutions asking the Philippine government to cooperate with the ICC investigation.) 

The ICC probe has to do with the alleged crime against humanity committed by former president Rodrigo Duterte during his bloody war on illegal drugs. Former president Duterte is the Vice President's father.

On Wednesday, the House Committees on Human Rights and on Justice discussed for the first time House resolutions (HR) that sought to declare the Philippine government's support for the ICC investigation.  

Among those tackled was the Makabayan bloc's HR No. 1393. 

"Ito ay long overdue na, actually last Congress pa, nag-file na tayo ng condemnation doon sa mga naganap na patayan during the war on drugs ng dating administration," Castro said. 

(This has been long overdue, it was back in the last Congress when we filed a condemnation of the killings that took place in the war on drugs of the previous administration.) 

"Huwag niyang diktahan ang House (She should not dictate on the House)," Castro said of the Vice President, as she noted that no less than the Supreme Court (SC) had said that "The [Philippine] government remains to be obliged to cooperate in criminal proceedings of the ICC." 

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It was March 2018 when then-president Duterte ordered the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute, which created the ICC.   

This, after ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced that she would start a preliminary examination against the elder Duterte in connection with complaints on the anti-drug campaign. 

On Thursday, Vice President Duterte reminded the House of President Marcos' opposition to the ICC probe, and basically told them to act accordingly. 

"To allow ICC prosecutors to investigate alleged crimes that are now under the exclusive jurisdiction of our prosecutors and our courts is not only patently unconstitutional but effectively belittles and degrades our legal institutions," she said.