PH won’t return to ICC despite new drug war revelations

International Criminal Court (Photo By Choinowski/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

By Darryl John Esguerra, Benjamin Pulta, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Philippines will not return to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malacañang said Monday, amid calls for the government to submit to the tribunal the sworn statements made before the House of Representatives probe on the supposed drug-related extra judicial killings under the previous administration.

Retired police officer Royina Garma and self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa testified before the House quad committee probe last week that so-called extrajudicial killings had the sanctions of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte is under ICC probe for the infamous anti-narcotics crackdown.

“The Philippines will not return to ICC,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told reporters. “Based on this, the President is not expected to change his mind and not refer the quad comm matter to the ICC.”

National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers and ICC-accredited assistant to counsel Kristina Conti had urged Marcos to submit the quadcom investigation materials to the ICC for inclusion in the case build-up.

Marcos had repeatedly asserted that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines and that the country’s justice system is functioning.

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the quadcom may consider handing its records to executive department offices for investigation and prosecution, like the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation or the Ombudsman.

“It would even be better if all pieces of evidence gathered from the congressional committee hearings are turned over to our own executive agencies for appropriate investigation and prosecution,” Guevarra said in a statement.

Filing of case vs Leonardo

Meanwhile, Bersamin said the Palace also supports the filing of cases against resigned National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, also a former police officer.

“The Palace will support the filing but will leave the decision to file entirely to the DOJ or the Ombudsman,” Bersamin said.

A Duterte appointee, Leonardo resigned after being linked in the 2020 killing of then Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) board secretary Wesley Barayuga.

Leonardo and former PCSO general manager Royina Garma were implicated Lt. Col. Santie Mendoza in the killing of Barayuga during a quadcom hearing.

Mendoza claimed that he was notified by Leonardo through a phone call in October 2019 about a “special project” involving a high-value individual who is believed to be involved in illegal drugs.

Leonardo is also being linked to the killing of three Chinese drug convicts inside a Davao prison facility in 2016.

He denied both allegations.