DFA: ICC case vs Duterte will undergo exhaustive process

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) clarified on Tuesday that a filing of a case with the International Criminal Court (ICC) still has to undergo a strict process.

A complaint of crimes against humanity through mass murder was filed over the weekend with the ICC in the Hague against President Duterte and 11 of his officials for his war on illegal drugs that has allegedly resulted in over 7,000 killings.

According to foreign affairs spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar, the department “has been made aware that there has been a submission of information to the office of the prosecutor of the ICC in the Hague.”

He pointed out: “As with any other submissions received by the office of the prosecutor, this will have to undergo thorough evaluation to determine whether it satisfies the Rome Statute’s requirements for admissibility and jurisdiction.”

Rome Statute is the treaty that established the ICC which was adopted on July 17, 1998 and entered into force on July 1, 2002. There are 124 countries, including the Philippines, party to the statute which establishes the ICC’s functions, jurisdiction and structure.

There are four core international crimes under the Rome Statute: genocide; crimes against humanity; war crimes; and crime of aggression, which can only be investigated and prosecuted by the ICC if states are unable or unwilling to do so themselves.

Since its establishment, the ICC has indicted 40 people including the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.  Proceedings against 17 persons indicted have been completed resulting in the conviction of three people, the acquittal of one individual while six others have had charges against them dismissed.