De Lima dismisses Teddy Boy Locsin's claims as 'fake news'

Senator Leila de Lima on Sunday dismissed claims of Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Teodoro "Teddy Boy" L. Locsin Jr. that the case filed against the President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC) would not prosper.

"I cannot believe how the intelligently outspoken Teddyboy Locsin can claim the ICC case against his President is dead because of Agnes Callamard's visit, an unofficial one at that, to the Philippines," De Lima said in a statement.

Her remarks came a day after Locsin expressed confidence that the case filed by self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato's lawyer, Atty. Jude Josue Sabio, against Duterte on crimes against humanity before the ICC would not prosper, following the recent visit of UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agness Callamard to the Philippines.

"Goodnight everyone. Again, thank you Agnes. The ICC case is dead. Trust me on this. Dead as a door nail," Locsin said in a post on his Twitter account on Saturday.

Goodnight everyone. Again, thank you Agnes. The ICC case is dead. Trust me on this. Dead as a door nail.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) May 6, 2017

De Lima said: "There is no rhyme or reason in such opinion, since Callamard is not of the ICC. She is neither a judge nor a prosecutor of such tribunal."

"The ICC official who will be evaluating the allegations in the Sabio communication and other communications of information that might have reached ICC and if warranted, conduct the preliminary examination is ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, not Agnes Callamard," she added.

In the same statement, De Lima also dismissed claims of Locsin linking Callamard to the Liberal Party.

"At the same time, calling Callamard a 'conceited fool' who has links to the Liberal Party only makes Locsin a badmouthing purveyor of fake news," she said.

Malacañang has expressed disappointment over Callamard's "unannounced" visit to the Philippines to speak at a policy forum on the illegal drug problem.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella said that by not informing the government of her visit, Callamard "sent a clear signal that she is not interested in getting an objective perspective on the issues that are the focus of her responsibility."

Callamard clarified, however, that she officially informed Philippine authorities of her visit on April 28. —Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/ALG, GMA News