Victims of illegal drugs operations do not need ICC -- SolGen Guevarra
The victims and their families in the alleged abuses committed during the illegal drugs war of the administration of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte do not need the International Criminal Court (ICC), Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra assured on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Guevarra declared that “our own national institutions are ready to investigate and prosecute all those who have violated the law.”
He issued issued the statement after President Marcos said on Tuesday that he does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines.
Marcos said the possible presence of the ICC in the country is considered “ a threat to our sovereignty.”
With this, Marcos maintained that “the Philippine government will not lift a finger to help any investigation that the ICC conducts.”
“The Philippines has disengaged completely from the ICC,” said Guevarra.
“As the President has repeatedly declared, the ICC has lost jurisdiction and any continuing investigation by the ICC is a threat to the country's sovereignty,” he added.
Because of this, Guevarra said “the Philippine government will therefore not lend any assistance to the ICC investigation, much less in the enforcement in Philippine territory of any processes issued by the ICC.”
The Philippine withdrawal from the ICC took effect in 2019 after then President Duterte in 2018 ordered the country’s withdrawal as a party to the Rome Statute that created the international court.