PH gov't not directly cooperating with ICC on drug war witnesses — Palace

Malacañang on Friday clarified that the government is not directly cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) despite the recent pronouncement of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla that the tribunal had requested the government to provide protection for witnesses. 

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the government would help witnesses as she clarified the nature of its coordination with The Hague-based tribunal.

"Parang sa ating pagkakadinig ay tutulungan ng DOJ (Department of Justice) ang mga witnesses para makapag-testify, para mabigyan ng hustisya ang dapat mabigyan ng hustisya. Hindi directly makikipagtulungan sa ICC," Castro said.

(From what we hear, the DOJ will help the witnesses to testify so that justice will be attained by those who seek it. Not directly cooperate with the ICC.)

"Still, ang tutulungan po natin ay kapwa Pilipino na nangangailangan ng tulong para mabigyan sila ng hustisya. 'Yan din naman po ang sinasabi ng Commission on Human Rights," she added. 

(Still, assistance will be given to our fellow Filipinos who need help so they may achieve justice. This is aligned with the statements of the Commission on Human Rights.)

Pressed if this matter has the go signal of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Castro said, "'Yun po ay, 'yan din naman po ang gusto ng Pangulo, mabigyan ng hustisya ang dapat mabigyan ng hustisya."

(That's also what the President wants, that justice be provided to those who deserve it.)

Castro added, ''It can be said that it is indirectly cooperating with the ICC, but the primary intention is to help the victims and the witnesses of the victims to get the justice they need.''

Asked if the matter is being tackled within the executive branch, Castro said there is no discussion on the matter.

Remulla earlier said three to four witnesses in the case of former President Rodrigo Duterte before the ICC are currently under government protection.

According to Remulla, more individuals may be placed under witness protection.

Remulla also said cooperating with the tribunal does not contradict with the government's position that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC.

The Philippines withdrew from the ICC’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, in 2019 after the tribunal launched a probe into the Duterte administration's deadly drug war.

When asked last March about the possibility of the Philippines rejoining the ICC, Marcos simply smiled and said the matter had not been discussed.

This was after the arrest of his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte and the latter's detention in the Netherlands on charges of crimes against humanity before the ICC.

However, Castro recently said the President was open to having discussions with regard to the Philippines rejoining the tribunal.

Earlier, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression called on the Philippine government to ratify international human rights treaties and restore its past ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Special Rapporteur Irene Khan has also called on the country to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. — VDV, GMA Integrated News