(L-R) Former Cebu City Police Office Director PCOL Royina Garma , NUPL Chairperson Atty Neri Colmenares, Police Lieutenant Colonel Jovie Espenido, and Correction S/Supt. Gerardo Padilla listen during the fifth QuadComm hearing at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on September 12, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — House Quad Committee co-chairperson and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said Tuesday they would not submit their panel's findings to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

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The ICC is looking into the alleged human rights abuses during the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Barbers said they would stand by the earlier pronouncement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the country does not recognize the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines.

"My personal stand on the issue is that, since we are not members of the ICC, and the President has made a clear statement as to his position on the ICC and I will support that position," he said.

"Hindi ho kami magbibigay ng dokumento o ng transcript na ginawa ng Quad Comm in relation to the extrajudicial killings para magamit ng ICC because again, we're not members of the ICC. Following the statement of the President, we will stick to that," Barbers added.

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Lawyers like former Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares urged government to refer the House Committee's investigation to the ICC.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin earlier said the Philippine government would not endorse the quad comm findings to the ICC. He reiterated the government's policy not to cooperate with the probe.

However, the Barbers said the ICC and its investigators were free to check the House hearings on social media.

"If they want to have access on records or access to information about the investigation, they can, the ICC can go to the social media platforms. It's all recorded, it's a public record. So they can access that anytime. And we will not stop them from doing that," he said.

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But should the ICC ask the House to help authenticate the recordings on social media, Barbers said they were not the proper body to do so.

"Siguro hindi kami yung agency that will authenticate that. Siguro ako, if I were to conduct an investigation and use the social media platforms, siguro gagawin ko lang as leads and I will investigate further. It's not within the authority of Congress to authenticate. Maybe perhaps the DICT can," he said.

"Para sa akin, gamitin lang nila for leads for them to get some information. And then validate the information in whatever means they deem necessary. Hindi talaga manggagaling sa Quad Comm. We will not submit to them anything, nor allow any of our witnesses to be interviewed by them. Sila na bahala," he added.

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Marcos has ruled out rejoining the ICC, following the withdrawal of the Philippines in 2019. He reiterated that the country has a functioning justice system.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the tribunal had no jurisdiction over the country and the quad comm has done the job of an ICC investigator.

"All that quad comm needs to do is turn over all evidence gathered in the course of its legislative inquiry to the proper government agencies in charge of investigation and prosecution, as Congress has always done in the past," he said.

"This move will also be aligned with our national position that the ICC could no longer exercise its jurisdiction over the Philippines since we withdrew from it in March 2019 and that our domestic institutions could very well handle the investigation and prosecution of any crimes in relation to the so-called war on drugs," Gueverra added.

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