Duterte backs Trump government's tirades against ICC
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte Thursday expressed support for the Trump administration's tirades against the International Criminal Court as he vowed not to yield to pressures from foreign groups critical of his war on illegal drugs.
The US has threatened to slap sanctions against the ICC if it continues prosecuting US soldiers accused of abusing detainees in Afghanistan.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton has lambasted a call by ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to look into the alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and has described the court as "illegitimate." According to Bolton, neither Afghanistan nor any signatory of the ICC's statute had called for the probe.
Bensouda was also the ICC prosecutor who announced the start of the preliminary examination on the deaths linked to Duterte's campaign against illicit drugs.
Duterte welcomed Bolton's criticism of the ICC and reiterated that the court should not be meddling with the Philippines' internal problems.
"It's good that there is international pressure on ICC, Bolton called them out on their b*lls**t, he’s really a very far right in America, a supporter of Trump, and he has criticized the ICC," the president said during the 12th anniversary of the Mechanized Infantry Division Thursday in Tarlac.
"They did it only now. But if you would notice, I'm not bragging, I also called them out on their b***s**t, I told them son of a b****. I said do not f*** with my country. You act as if you know better when it comes to dealing with our problems," he added.
Duterte said the ICC would not care if the Philippines' drug problem deteriorates.
"When the day is done, at the end of the day, kung magka l*che l*che ang Pilipinas, itong mga yawa na ito, wala naman silang pakialam (If the Philippines goes to the dogs, these devils won't care)," he said.
Duterte said he did not regret cursing at the ICC and former US president Barack Obama, who had criticized his brutal crackdown on narcotics.
"So the timely word of Bolton now is quite refreshing to us especially to me who is most vocal about it. I disrespected us when they disrespected us. I only bow to the Filipino people, I will not bow to anybody," the President said.
"I can accept the criticism of the NPA (New People's Army), Abu Sayyaf, and vendors, robbers. If he’s not contented with my performance, they have every duty to be angry with me. They voted for me. If I fell short, then as a Filipino that is your right to criticize and slam me if you want. I would never never take it against you. But if they are whites, they are fools," he added.
Last March, Duterte withdrew the Philippines' ratification of the Rome Statute, citing what he described as "bias" and "outrageous attacks" against him by ICC and United Nations officials. The Rome Statute, the founding treaty of ICC, was signed by the Philippines under then-President Benigno Aquino III in 2011.
Duterte had claimed that the ICC, which is investigating his war on drugs, is being used as a "political tool" to harass the Philippines.
Officials have said the Philippines was not bound by the Rome Statute because the treaty was not published in the Official Gazette, the government's official publication. Some legal experts refuted this, saying publication is not required for the treaty to take effect.
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