AS the International Criminal Court continues to investigate ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, issues related to human rights, sovereignty, and the legitimacy of a foreign entity’s intervention in local affairs have resurfaced.
The latest report about the alleged unusual behavior of ICC investigators in the country has raised more questions and doubts about their true intentions and professionalism.
We heard through the grapevine their alleged luxurious lifestyle particularly staying in expensive hotels such as Raffles Hotel and Midas Hotel and Casino said to be owned by one Eli Co.
While doing their ‘professional tasks,’ there were allegations of personal squandering of money on shopping sprees and use of escorts, etc., thereby affecting the credibility of their mission.
These types of controversies have caused concern among many Filipinos.
Has the ICC given its personnel the right to act in this way in a country they went to under the guise of investigating allegations of abuse?
The ICC’s goal is undoubtedly to bring justice to victims of alleged extrajudicial killings, but the presence of news reports depicting its investigators as living a luxurious lifestyle and behaving inappropriately gives the impression of disrespect for the country they went to.
Moreover, the ICC’s ongoing investigation despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019 raises questions about the international court’s accountability and jurisdiction.
While the ICC defends its continued involvement in the case because of crimes committed while the Philippines was a member, the Marcos administration maintains that the Philippines has its own judicial system capable of responding to possible wrongdoings by the previous administration.
The ICC, despite its goal of providing justice to victims of the drug war, needs to pay attention to its own accountability for the actions of its personnel.
Above all, respect for Philippine sovereignty must be valued. If their presence continues to generate controversy and doubt, they may lose credibility in the eyes of the public, and their mission may end in failure.
We must be critical of their actions since it’s vital for us to defend our country’s sovereignty.
Justice is important but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the dignity and respect that every nation and its people deserve.
