By Bianca Angelica D. Añago, Reporter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte’s refusal to cooperate with a potential investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of his deadly war on drugs could further upset Western powers such as the United States and European Union (EU), political analysts said.
“Western powers such as the US and EU would certainly be concerned about this refusal to cooperate,” Robin Michael Garcia, president of WR Numero Research, said in a mobile phone message on Sunday.
“Duterte’s refusal could embolden these countries to open up the conversation and make it part of negotiations in pandemic support and other types of aid,” he added.
The presidential palace earlier rejected a recommendation by the ICC’s outgoing chief prosecutor to open a probe into alleged crimes against humanity committed by Mr. Duterte’s in connection with his anti-drug campaign.
Presidential spokesman Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said the plan is “legally erroneous and politically-motivated,” adding that the international court does not have jurisdiction over cases involving crimes against humanity.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on June 14 said she had asked the Hague-based tribunal’s pre-trial chamber to allow her office to probe the killings.
She said her office had been taking measures to collect and preserve evidence in anticipation of a possible probe. Her office found sufficient evidence that local police had committed human rights violations by executing drug suspects who allegedly resisted arrest.
Mr. Roque has said the President and his government would not cooperate with the Netherlands-based tribunal on any potential investigation because it was not “in aid of substantial justice.”
The European Parliament in September issued a resolution expressing its “deep concern over the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the Philippines under Duterte.” The legislators condemned the thousands of extrajudicial killings related to the drug war.
The parliament also urged the European Commission to withdraw trade preferences if the Philippine government fails to address the killings.
While US President Joseph R. Biden had not spoken against Mr. Duterte’s drug war, he is “tough on human rights” based on US policy toward other countries, Mr. Garcia said.
While the ICC move does not involve any trade embargoes or economic sanctions, it could affect Mr. Duterte’s “reputation in the international community especially among the Western countries,” said Dennis C. Coronacion, chairman of the University of Santo Tomas Department of Political Science.
Mr. Duterte earlier said stopping the anti-illegal drug campaign would “destroy our country.”
A human rights group earlier asked the ICC to order Mr. Duterte’s arrest for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his deadly war on drugs.
In a supplementary pleading, members of Rise Up for life and for Rights asked the tribunal to detain the tough-talking leader pending his trial and investigation of the country’s human rights situation.
The complainants cited the need to open an investigation into crimes against humanity in the Philippines, and for the court to issue a warrant of arrest against Mr. Duterte.
The group also said the Justice department’s review of extrajudicial killings was neither comprehensive nor transparent. The public does not have access to its reports, it pointed out.
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, who is reviewing drug-related deaths, earlier said his office had received 52 case records from police and 107 cases from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.