The Senate plenary hall (Senate PRIB)
The Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee has invited the International Criminal Court (ICC) to its hearing on a resolution of the Senate objecting to an ICC probe on the controversial drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte. The ICC has not yet replied to the Senate committee invitation, Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino said. The invitation, according Tolentino, committee chairman, was relayed to Karim Khan, ICC chief prosecutor, who wanted the ICC to investigate the alleged bloody anti-drug war of the Duterte administration. The proposed ICC probe was initially sought by former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. These prosecutors could attend the hearing via teleconferencing, Tolentino explained. He said an invitation was also sent to former president Duterte but similarly, there is no reply yet. Earlier, a resolution was filed expressing the Senate's rejection of the proposed ICC probe. Senate Resolution (SR) No. 492, was authored by Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada. Senators Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go and Robinhood Padilla also filed SR No.488 asking the Senate to defend Duterte from the ICC investigation. These resolutions will be taken up by the Tolentino committee on April 19 at three o’clock in the afternoon, or 10 o’clock in the morning in the Netherlands. Senators maintained that the justice system in the Philippines is working and that there ICC should also attend the Senate committee hearing.