MANILA, Philippines — The Truth Commission investigating former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs rejected the call of US President Donald Trump calling on members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to resign.
In a statement on Wednesday, the commission, through its chairman and former ICC judge Raul Pangalangan, said the call is “self-serving, irresponsible, and leaves many of those who suffered injustice around the world more vulnerable to abuses.”
Trump made the comments during a speech during the United National Assembly in New York on Tuesday.
“In the Philippine context, this sustained attack against the ICC jeopardizes the hope of victims and survivors that justice is within reach, as the country grapples with the effects of the impunity brought on by the Duterte regime against thousands killed in its ‘drug war’ from 2016,” the commission said.
“Duterte is now being tried in the ICC for crimes against humanity. He needs to undergo this process for justice. An ICC under siege prolongs the search for accountability and the suffering of thousands,” it added.
The commission called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cooperate with the tribunal.
“We urge again the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to cooperate with the ICC and carry out its arrest warrants, and demonstrate to the world the nation’s commitment to a rights-based international order,” the commission said.
Duterte has been detained at the ICC since March last year over crimes against humanity surrounding his drug war, that led to thousands being killed. The former chief executive was seen at the trial chamber last week during a status conference. He is set to face trial on Nov. 30.
