Miriam steps up ICC campaign

MANILA, Philippines - Backed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago yesterday wooed the support of 28 countries for her bid to become a judge in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

DFA officials said Santiago, a former regional trial court judge, has a good chance, being one of two Asian nominees and also one of two women vying for the seat. 

Santiago recently returned from The Hague in the Netherlands, the first leg of her campaign for one of six seats in the ICC.

Aside from her, the other nominee from Asia is George Serghides of Cyprus while the other woman candidate is Olga Venecia Herrera Carbuccia of the Dominican Republic.

The ambassadors at the meeting yesterday represented Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Timor Leste, the United Kingdom and Venezuela.

According to the DFA, being a female candidate is an important consideration since many victims of criminality brought before the court include sexually assaulted women.

The DFA noted that Santiago has championed the rights of women at every point in her career and as a woman herself, she can address many of the cases brought before the ICC.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the senator is also a legal expert and has an impressive academic record in international law.

“Dr. Santiago realized and understood the need to establish an international court that would try individuals accused of the most egregious of crimes committed on a scale that is widespread and systematic. This life-long belief stems from her respect for the rule of law and, more importantly, the understanding that the rule of law finds its most potent expression in international law,” said Del Rosario during yesterday’s luncheon the DFA hosted for Santiago.

“I believe that all of you will agree that a candidate for judge of the ICC must have the requisite educational background, professional experience and a keen understanding of the issues that pertain to the court. Dr. Santiago has all these,” he added.

Santiago made her pitch to vie for the ICC before 29 ambassadors who attended the luncheon.

Del Rosario added that Santiago fulfills the requirements of Article 36 of the Rome Statute, being a person of high moral character, impartiality, and integrity who possesses the qualifications required by Philippine law for appointment to the highest judicial office.

Her academic record includes a Doctor of Juridical Science degree obtained from the University of Michigan, where she was a Barbour Scholar and DeWitt Fellow. She was also a Visiting Law Fellow at Oxford University and a Visiting Fellow at the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law at Cambridge University.

She is also a highly regarded member of academe, being a professorial lecturer on constitutional and international law at the UP College of Law for 12 years and has authored numerous books that are still being used today in law schools throughout the Philippines.

Santiago also had a distinguished career in all three branches of government as a judge, Cabinet member, and legislator.

A total of 19 candidates are vying for the six seats in the ICC, most of whom come from the African region with eight nominees.

The six nominees who will obtain the highest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of the states parties present and voting would be elected to the court. They will serve for a term of nine years.

Santiago has aggressively campaigned and met with ambassadors in The Hague, Netherlands.

She will visit New York, the seat of the United Nations, later this month to campaign before another set of ambassadors.