The entrance of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is seen in The Hague on March 3, 2011. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen/File Photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines should rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) following former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “fair and direct” preliminary hearing for his crimes against humanity case, according to Bayan Muna Chairperson Neri Colmenares.
He called on the Marcos administration to take concrete steps toward rejoining the ICC, which he said would help the government in upholding human rights and “end the culture of impunity.”
“The ICC preliminary hearing demonstrated what genuine justice mechanisms look like. The proceedings were fair, direct, and focused on the objectives of the hearing without being derailed by diversionary tactics,” Colmenares said in a statement on Sunday.
“The ongoing ICC proceedings against former President Duterte should serve as a wake-up call to our current leadership. Rejoining the ICC would be a decisive step toward ensuring justice for the thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings and their families,” he added.
“The ICC is an important institution to ensure that no head of state escapes accountability for grave human rights violations. The Philippines must become a member of the ICC again to protect the rights of the Filipino people,” he also said.
Duterte is facing a case at the ICC for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war.
Last March 14, Duterte attended his pre-trial hearing through video call. The former chief executive was not able to physically appear before the court due to his “debilitating medical issues, hard of hearing, and poor of sight.”
Colmenares pointed out how the ICC “efficiently handled the proceedings by simply noting the manifestations of Duterte’s camp and scheduling them for proper discussion at the next hearing on September 23, 2025.”
He also said that Duterte’s counsel was allowed to speak “despite the preliminary nature of the hearing.”
Last March 11, Duterte was served an arrest warrant from the ICC. After his arrest at the airport, Duterte was transferred to Villamor Air Base headquarters before being flown to The Hague via a chartered plane. He arrived there at 11:55 p.m. (Philippine time) on March 12.