FORMER Presidential Spokesperson and International Lawyer Atty. Harry Roque believes that Congress plans to embarrass former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in its investigation into the war on drugs campaign.
This is because the case against the former president at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is unlikely to proceed.
To recall, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines because the country’s justice system and police force are functioning.
“I think they are not sure if the case will proceed in the ICC. So, if the case does not proceed in the ICC, they want to embarrass former President Duterte at least in Congress,” said Atty. Harry Roque, Former Presidential Spokesperson.
Although Roque said he knows the former president will not attend such hearings, he still questions its true purpose.
He also said, that this is not in aid of legislation.
“Why would an investigation into alleged extralegal killings be in aid of legislation? Are our laws on murder not enough? Isn’t our international humanitarian law sufficient to try murder as war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide?”
“There is no new law that Congress can pass because our international humanitarian law in the Philippines was already enacted before we agreed to become a member of the ICC.”
“This means there is no reason for the ICC to act on these cases because the Rome Statute, enforced by the ICC, has already been enacted as law here in the Philippines. This means that Philippine courts can already try individuals for crimes according to international humanitarian law, reiterating the Rome Statute’s provisions,” added Roque.
Republic Act Number 9851, or the Philippine Act 2009 on crimes against international humanitarian law, genocide, and other crimes against humanity was enacted on December 11, 2009.
This law, based on the Rome Statute, strengthens the punishment against the most serious crimes of international concern, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
Atty. Roque pointed out that proving someone’s involvement and guilt in a crime should be done through the proper process in the prosecutor’s office and courts, not in Congress, stressing that the legislature is not a court.
