蜜桃工作室 file photo
The spokesman of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG)聽on Friday聽said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has no jurisdiction to dip its hand over allegations of crimes against humanity against President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials.
OSG spokesman Atty. Erik Dy said that the ICC can only intervene if domestic courts become 鈥渋ncapable鈥� of carrying out proper proceedings.
While Dy clarified that the ICC would not be barred from conducting a preliminary examination in order to determine jurisdiction, he said that 鈥渁ssumption of jurisdiction, however, is a different matter.鈥�
鈥淭he ICC cannot replace our national聽courts. The ICC may only exercise聽jurisdiction where domestic courts are聽incapable of carrying out the proper聽proceedings,鈥� Dy explained in an emailed statement to the media.
Dy added that there are adequate laws and remedies in the country to address the issue of alleged聽extra-judicial killings.
鈥淚n fact,聽petitions against the administration鈥檚 War on聽Drugs are now pending for resolution before聽the Supreme Court. This negates the need for the ICC to take聽cognizance of the matter,鈥� he stressed.
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ICC prosecutor Fatous Bensouda聽on Thursday聽announced聽that they would conduct a preliminary examination into crimes allegedly committed by聽the government since July 1, 2016, or the day after Duterte took office.
Bensouda assured the Philippine government that the preliminary examination would聽be carried out 鈥渨ith full independence and impartiality in accordance with its mandate聽and the applicable legal instruments of the Court.鈥� /jpv