PH urged to cooperate with ICC probe on drug war | ABS-CBN

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PH urged to cooperate with ICC probe on drug war

PH urged to cooperate with ICC probe on drug war

Willard Cheng,

ABS-CBN News

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Policemen check the gun recovered from one of two unidentified drug suspects after they were shot dead by police during a buy-bust operation in Tondo, Manila on June 6, 2018. Basilio H. Sepe, ABS-CBN News/File
Policemen check the gun recovered from one of two unidentified drug suspects after they were shot dead by police during a buy-bust operation in Tondo, Manila on June 6, 2018. Basilio H. Sepe, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- Senior embassy officials of Canada on Wednesday urged the Philippine government to cooperate with the investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the drug war of the Duterte administration.

Speaking to selected journalists during a briefing on its Indo-Pacific strategy, the officials stressed the importance of accountability, pointing out that while the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, it is still accountable for actions that preceded the withdrawal and that ICC still has legal jurisdiction.

They said the Philippines must abide by international law, especially if the country believes in upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in the matter of its maritime disputes with China.

Canada has made human rights an important part of its foreign policy, leveraging its leadership in multilateral institutions to support regional action on human rights as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

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“If the Philippines believes in upholding international law including things like UNCLOS, for example, then the Philippines must also abide by international law,” the embassy officials said.

“Yes, the Philippines withdrew by proper procedure in 2019 from the Rome Statute. (But) it is still accountable for all the actions that preceded its withdrawal and the ICC still has legal jurisdiction. We believe accountability for actions is important," they said.

"It is not for us to make determinations about whether the ICC should or should not. They have legal expertise, and the ICC has used that expertise and come to the conclusion that investigations underway here do not satisfy the need. They have not seen evidence of the kinds of investigative actions that they would credit to say, ‘Okay, the Philippines has got this'.”

“We can’t have support for UNCLOS on the one hand, and then not meet your obligations on the other. So is that selective?” they asked.

The diplomats also stressed the importance of holding Canada up to its “own expectations” and standards as it vowed to strengthen international assistance, including in supporting efforts toward democracy, inclusivity, accountable governance and sustained economic growth, and helping key countries in the region as part of its Indo-Pacific strategy.

On Jan. 26, the ICC resumed its investigation into the bloody drug war and Davao Death Squad killings in the Philippines, saying Manila's efforts to investigate and prosecute the alleged crimes against humanity in the Philippines were not satisfactory.

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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