Duterte says he won’t face international tribunal
Published on: Thursday, July 18, 2019
MANILA: President Rodrigo Duterte said Wednesday he would never face an international tribunal concerning his domestic policies, including his campaign against illegal drugs.“Look, as I have told you before, ladies and gentlemen of the world, I will only face, be tried or face a trial in a Philippine court. Presided by a Filipino judge. Prosecuted by a Filipino. Maybe they can reimpose death penalty and die in Filipino land,” he said.
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“I will not answer a Caucasian, asking question white man there. You must be stupid. Who are you? I am a Filipino. We have our courts here. You have to bring me somewhere else? I would not like that. I have my country. It’s working. Justice is working here,” he added.
The Philippines withdrew from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2018 after the world’s only permanent war crimes tribunal started an examination into allegations of mass killing in Duterte’s war on drugs.
“You just don’t know the real situation. You better study. Then you force me to defend myself before you? Who are you?” he said.
“If you do that, I’ll give you a lecture on the finer points of international law. It is only when there is a total breakdown of justice in a country that nobody is willing to prosecute you. My God, the yellow, the Otso Diretso are itching to go to trial,” he added.
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The President maintained he will continue his campaign to solve the country’s narcotics problem because no one will.
“Whether they like it or not, I will continue what I started to the very end. If the end brings me out alright, what is said against me won’t amount to anything. But if the end brings me out wrong, 10 angels of God swearing I was right would make no difference,” he said.
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