Marcos undermining rule-based order by fighting ICC — analysts
2 min read
By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
THE MARCOS government’s refusal to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation of the Philippines’ deadly war on drugs undermines the so-called rule-based international order that the country had advocated in its sea dispute with China, according to political analysts.
“Beyond the issue of the ICC, it also raises questions regarding the selectivity with which the Philippines is willing to uphold international law as a principle,” Joseph Herman S. Kraft, former chairman of the University of the Philippines’ (UP) Political Science department, said in a Viber message.
“This affects the significance of its own support for a rule-based international order,” he said. “It diminishes the impact of any of its statements that makes reference to the need to respect international law.”
The ICC investigation covers so-called crimes against humanity committed in Davao City from November 2011 to June 2016 when former President Rodrigo R. Duterte was still its mayor.
The court is also investigating extralegal killings during his presidency up until March 16, 2019, a day before the Philippines withdrew from the ICC.
At the US-led Summit for Democracy last week, the Philippine government reiterated that it does not recognize the ICC’s authority to investigate the drug war.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Thursday, said the country “disassociates” from the part of the summit’s declaration that acknowledged the “important role played by the ICC as a permanent and impartial tribunal complementary to national jurisdictions in advancing accountability for the most serious crimes under international law.”
“The international consequence of that decision, including the perception that, that is a hypocritical position, is something that the Marcos administration has to live with,” Mr. Kraft said.
The Philippines under Mr. Marcos has been calling for a…
BusinessWorld
2023-04-02 06:31:49
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