A human rights group has called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reinstate the Philippines as a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking the sixth anniversary of the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute.
In an Inquirer.net report, Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay urged the administration to reconsider the decision made by former President Rodrigo Duterte, who pulled the country out of the treaty on March 17, 2018. The withdrawal took full effect a year later.
Palabay criticized Duterte’s move as a way to evade accountability, particularly as the ICC had launched investigations into drug war-related killings during his term. Official government data reports around 6,000 deaths in the anti-drug campaign, but rights groups estimate the toll to be as high as 30,000.
Despite the withdrawal, the ICC maintained jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed between November 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019. This jurisdiction led to Duterte’s recent arrest and transfer to The Hague, where he has been in custody since March 11.
Palabay emphasized the need for the Philippines to bolster its justice system while also seeking legal recourse through international mechanisms like the ICC.
