House to adhere to Marcos policies on ICC – Speaker

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives will adhere to the policies of the Marcos administration on the issue of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to Speaker Martin Romualdez, the chamber will follow the administration’s position on whether or not the Philippines should rejoin the ICC.

“We will take it as is. We will follow, we will follow the policies,” he told reporters.

Romualdez underscored that House members just manifested their positions when they approved for committee deliberations the resolutions calling for the government to cooperate with the ICC probe on the drug war during the Duterte administration.

“But what you heard is just the sense of some of the congressmen. We will still deliberate on that,” he added.

Pending at the House now are three resolutions that urge concerned government agencies to cooperate with the ICC probe.

These measures were filed by the Makabayan bloc, Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante and 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez and Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

On Friday, President Marcos announced that proposals for the country to rejoin the ICC are “under study.”

This, as Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel said they are already fed up with the “posturing” of the Duterte camp, that allowing the ICC to continue with its investigation is a sign of disrespect for the Philippine courts.

“It was Duterte – who happens to be a lawyer – who was the one who primarily circumvented the law and implemented a culture of impunity under his term,” he said.

Manuel also lambasted Vice President Sara Duterte for her pronouncement that allowing the ICC investigation is “unconstitutional and will “degrade the Philippines legal institution.”

“It’s like she is giving Congress a lecture … She is not yet a president, but she already wants to dictate on Congress,” he added.

De Lima on ICC case

The families of victims in the previous administration’s deadly campaign against illegal drugs have welcomed the interest of former senator Leila de Lima to assist in the case filed before the ICC.

The Rise Up for Life and for Rights, an alliance that supports victims of the so-called war on drugs, said any form of cooperation with the ICC investigation is a welcome development.

“The ongoing ICC investigation into the ‘war on drugs’ in the Philippines will benefit from more information and cooperation from parties, particularly those with personal knowledge about the incidents,” the group said in a statement.

“In determining who is ‘most responsible’ for crimes against humanity committed between November 2011 and March 2019, it is best that the ICC consider all angles and speak to all important players,” it added.

The ICC prosecutor is currently conducting an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity committed in relation to the drug war and the killings attributed to the so-called “Davao Death Squad.”

De Lima, a former justice secretary and chair of the Commission on Human Rights, earlier expressed interest in assisting in the case.

She was recently freed on bail in the last drug case filed against her during the previous Duterte administration.