PHL reaffirms commitment to fight immunity during ICC assembly

The Philippines has reaffirmed its commitment to fight impunity and pushed for a rules-based international relations among states during the 13th Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in December last year.

In a press statement Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the Philippine Ambassador to The Netherlands Jaime Victor B. Ledda, who headed the Philippine delegation to the Assembly, underscored the country’s commitment to advance global peace in his statement during the General Debate.

“The Philippines affirms its commitment to fighting impunity. We condemn the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. Together, we should ensure that perpetrators account for their crimes,” Ledda said.

He said modern international relations continue to mature from one that is power-based, to one that should be rules-based. He said that is the power and majesty of the rule of law.

“Without it, there would not be international criminal justice, and without international criminal justice, global peace would not be possible. The ICC is a cornerstone of global peace,” he said, as he expressed the country's support for achieving ICC universality.

Ledda urged countries that have yet to ratify or accede to the Rome Statute, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region, to do so.

President Benigno Aquino III signed the Rome Statute in February 2011 and the Senate ratified it in August of the same year.

Ledda said the Philippines strives to ensure that its criminal justice system is transparent, fair, effective, and relatively speedy, allowing for the prosecution of the crimes contemplated by the Rome Statute.

“We pay close attention to the ongoing judicial proceedings, investigations, and preliminary examinations of the Court, and expressed concern about present developments. The work of justice is never easy. But the reality is that justice can be particularly complicated and difficult in countries affected if not devastated by violence and conflict,” he said.

Ledda said the Philippines has pledged its help to protect human rights and build domestic capabilities, including through human resource development-related assistance like the training of judges, prosecutors, the police, and the military.

“The Philippines advocate for the rule of law and human rights to be strongly reflected in the post-2015 development agenda. By so doing, the international community will affirm that there will be no peace without justice, not just for our generation, but also for the generations yet to come,” Ledda added.

Aquino earlier said that the culture of impunity in the country is over but some groups have been criticizing the government for its failure to stop the culture of impunity as they claim that many of the perpetrators in extrajudicial killings were yet to be brought to court.  —Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News