EVEN if the Philippines has officially withdrawn from its membership with the International Criminal Court based in the Hague, Netherlands, the preliminary examination into the situation in the Philippines will continue. This is the post in the social media (via the International Criminal Court Twitter account) of ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda.
It can be recalled that The Hague-based tribunal began last year its “preliminary examination” of the accusations against President Rodrigo Duterte on his alleged crimes against humanity in relation to his administration’s war against drugs.
ICC prosecutor Bensouda is of the opinion that the ICC continues to have jurisdiction over the alleged crimes against humanity committed by the President during the period the country was still a state party to the Rome Statute. It must also be understood that the ICC or the Rome Statute as it is also called has established four core international crimes which are: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. These four core international crimes can only be “investigated and prosecuted where member states are “unable” or “unwilling” to do so themselves,” and, “that the jurisdiction of the ICC is complementary to the jurisdictions of domestic courts.” (Wikipedia on the Rome Statute)
However, even if the ICC will continue its examination of the alleged crimes against humanity committed by President Duterte, they fail to completely understand and comprehend that, short of ordering his successful assassination; Digong will most assuredly continue his war on drugs. This is because he made a commitment to the Filipino people when he promised to wage a relentless offensive against those who would destroy the Filipino society by distributing and selling illegal drugs.
Nothing will stop the President from continuing his war on drugs, not the ICC or any other court or tribunal.
This must be made clear and by now obvious to anyone that until the President will step down three years from now no amount or degree of pressure or intimidation will compel him to stop his war against illegal drugs.
He has made a promise to the Filipino people that he will go full force against those protecting or distributing illegal drugs in the country and is committed to doing so even if the said campaign will become his waterloo in life.
This is the point missed by the ICC. No matter what other States or international tribunals will say or attempt to do President Duterte has already drawn the line in the sand and is willing to challenge anyone for what he believes is the means to prevent the country from becoming a narco-state.
It is as if Digong is telling the ICC, if eradicating drug pushers, drug lords and drug syndicates is a crime against humanity then so be it.