Remulla won't welcome ICC prosecutors in country
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Friday he will not welcome International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors in the country following the resumption of its investigation on alleged human rights abuses related to the Philippine government's war on drugs.
Following the resumption of the investigation as announced by the ICC Thursday, Remulla said he will "speak with the solicitor general about the course of action" that the Philippine government should take as a country.
"Definitely I do not welcome this move of theirs and I will not welcome them in the Philippines unless they make a deal that they will respect us in this regard. I will not stand for any of these antics that will tend to question our sovereignty or our status as a sovereign country. We will not accept that," he said in a press conference in Manila.
Remulla stressed that the ICC does not have "compulsory process in the country; they will not even be empowered to issue subpoenas in the country."
The justice secretary said the Philippines is open to dialogue, but he noted that the government will not allow the ICC to overrule in the country.
"We should open a dialogue with them, but we will not accept impositions in our country. We are willing to dialogue with them, we are not closing doors to dialogue but they cannot come in here and they cannot impose themselves upon us. That is a no no," he said.
"I don't think any government would accept that from the ICC which is supposed to function on the principle of complementarity and they cannot overrule us in our own country. And they cannot come in here with the asserting jurisdiction when we have jurisdiction we do not complementary means that you do not cross each other jurisdiction," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
