Palace: Withdrawal from ICC won't affect PH stand on WPS
Published Oct 13, 2018 01:46 pm
By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
Malacañang does not think that the Philippines' withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) will weaken the Philippines claim over the disputed West Philippine Sea.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) Newly designated presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said that withdrawing from the ICC would weaken the Philippines' stance in case China invades Scarborough Shoal and puts up military establishments there. In his first press briefing, Panelo said that there is nothing that connects the two issues. "Frankly, I have not seen the relation between withdrawing from the ICC and that particular Chinese issue. Wala akong makitang koneksyon eh. (I don't see any connection)," he said. According to Panelo, the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, to begin with, even with the new provision in the Rome Statute regarding aggression by another country. "Wala iyon. (That's nothing)," he said. Rights over the disputed West Philippine Sea was granted to the Philippines two years ago by the International Tribunal Court. However, President Duterte set this aside to build stronger relations with China. He promised, though, to raise it with the Asian giant before his term ends. President Duterte earlier said that the Philippines will be withdrawing from the ICC following the preliminary examination it launched on the killings under Duterte's drug war. Duterte had also reasoned out that the Rome Statute is not affecting the country as it was never published in the Official Gazette despite being ratified. 'We don't need it' Panelo reiterated that the Philippines does not need the Rome Statute as its courts are functioning smoothly. The Rome Statute was created so there would be a vehicle, the ICC, to prosecute countries perceived to be tyrants or violators of heinous crimes. "If that is the rationale, then we do not need the International Criminal Court. Why? First, as the Rome Statute says, it will only come in if the state is unwilling or unable. But we are not only willing, we’re able," Panelo said. "What’s to proof? We jailed the former President Erap , We also detained the former President Gloria Arroyo, so our courts were functioning as they are functioning now. It’s a robust judicial system," he added. Panelo also said the people will not allow a tyrant to stay in power, noting how Filipinos rose in revolt against the late President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. "If you remember the ’86 Revolution, the people rose in revolt against a perceived tyrant – the late President Marcos. In other words, we don’t even need an ICC because we have shown, demonstrated to the world that we can do without," he said. Meanwhile, Panelo also said that there is no need to publish the Rome Statute in the Official Gazette for it to take effect in the country. "As I said, we don’t even need it, so why do you have to get into it if you don’t need it. Moreover, you must remember that most of the powerful countries are not even members of that entity," he said.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) Newly designated presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said that withdrawing from the ICC would weaken the Philippines' stance in case China invades Scarborough Shoal and puts up military establishments there. In his first press briefing, Panelo said that there is nothing that connects the two issues. "Frankly, I have not seen the relation between withdrawing from the ICC and that particular Chinese issue. Wala akong makitang koneksyon eh. (I don't see any connection)," he said. According to Panelo, the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, to begin with, even with the new provision in the Rome Statute regarding aggression by another country. "Wala iyon. (That's nothing)," he said. Rights over the disputed West Philippine Sea was granted to the Philippines two years ago by the International Tribunal Court. However, President Duterte set this aside to build stronger relations with China. He promised, though, to raise it with the Asian giant before his term ends. President Duterte earlier said that the Philippines will be withdrawing from the ICC following the preliminary examination it launched on the killings under Duterte's drug war. Duterte had also reasoned out that the Rome Statute is not affecting the country as it was never published in the Official Gazette despite being ratified. 'We don't need it' Panelo reiterated that the Philippines does not need the Rome Statute as its courts are functioning smoothly. The Rome Statute was created so there would be a vehicle, the ICC, to prosecute countries perceived to be tyrants or violators of heinous crimes. "If that is the rationale, then we do not need the International Criminal Court. Why? First, as the Rome Statute says, it will only come in if the state is unwilling or unable. But we are not only willing, we’re able," Panelo said. "What’s to proof? We jailed the former President Erap , We also detained the former President Gloria Arroyo, so our courts were functioning as they are functioning now. It’s a robust judicial system," he added. Panelo also said the people will not allow a tyrant to stay in power, noting how Filipinos rose in revolt against the late President Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. "If you remember the ’86 Revolution, the people rose in revolt against a perceived tyrant – the late President Marcos. In other words, we don’t even need an ICC because we have shown, demonstrated to the world that we can do without," he said. Meanwhile, Panelo also said that there is no need to publish the Rome Statute in the Official Gazette for it to take effect in the country. "As I said, we don’t even need it, so why do you have to get into it if you don’t need it. Moreover, you must remember that most of the powerful countries are not even members of that entity," he said.