ICC cannot prosecute me ‘for a thousand years’: Duterte
Published on: Monday, December 02, 2019
By: GMA News
MANILA: President Rodrigo Duterte (pic) is confident the International Criminal Court (ICC) cannot prosecute him over his bloody campaign against illegal drugs even “for a thousand years.”Duterte made the remark in his speech during the Bonifacio Day celebration in Caloocan City.ADVERTISEMENT
“You know, we have repudiated the International Criminal Court. And I said, you cannot prosecute me for a thousand years,” Duterte said in his speech.
Duterte is facing two communications in relation to allegations of crimes against humanity over the war on drugs before the ICC.
The ICC opened in February last year a preliminary examination to determine whether it has jurisdiction over the matter and a full-blown investigation would serve the interests of justice and of the victims.
But Duterte insisted that lawyers could not find any extrajudicial killing made in the name of his war on drugs.ADVERTISEMENT
“There’s no such a crime as extrajudicial killing. They will individually count the dead and charge it to you. So, let’s see it,” he said.
The President even claimed the country’s ratification of the Rome Statute, which paved the way for the establishment of the ICC, was not published on the Official Gazette, hence making it “not a law.”
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“That is a law. It has to pass Congress, as with Congress concur in treaties. Kasi its concurrence then ipasa mo sa Presidente. And Erap (former President Joseph Estrada) signed it. But the problem is eager masyado sila,” he said.
“It’s not a law. It was not published. It was not forward... It was not given back to Erap. After signing then Erap should send it. Wala,” he added.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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Duterte said members of the ICC are nothing but “idiots,” and that there is nothing to be afraid of with the cases they might file against him.
In March last year, Duterte announced that the Philippines was withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, due to “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” against him and his administration.