The Philippines has announced its intention to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The move comes after the international judicial body launched an inquiry into the violent drug war. President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs has left countless people, most of them accused of drug-linked crime, dead. Human rights watchdogs have accused the Filipino government of violating human rights and carrying out extrajudicial killings.
President Duterte had already instructed Filipino legal authorities not to cooperate with the United Nations, telling them, “Do not answer, do not bother.” During the speech, Duterte also directed some comments towards the UN itself:
“Who are you to interfere when we are being swallowed by drugs?… Fact-finding? Do not fuck with me.”
At times, Duterte has been compared to American President Donald Trump. Both are known for going off-script during speeches. Both presidents ran populist campaigns that promised to be tough on crime.
The ICC had announced in February that it intends to conduct a preliminary inquiry to determine whether or not a full investigation was warranted. The ICC’s jurisdiction is limited to signatory companies. By withdrawing from the ICC, the Philippines appears to have made the court’s potential involvement moot.
The Philippines joins a short list of non-signatory states that include Russia, the United States, China, India, and Turkey. Many Southeast Asian nations are also not signatories of the court, including Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, and Brunei. Indeed, most of Asia is not a member of the ICC, with the Philippines having previously been among the few and largest Asian members. In total, more than 120 countries have submitted to the ICC’s oversight.
UN High Commissioner: Duterte Needs Psychological Evaluation
Previously, UN High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had claimed that Duterte was in need of a psychological evaluation. The comments came after the Philippines government placed Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a UN expert regarding indigenous peoples, on a watch list for alleged communist guerillas.
Specifically, Hussein said: “He needs to submit himself to some sort of psychiatric examination. This kind of comment is unacceptable. These attacks cannot go unanswered; the UN human rights council must take a position.”
Duterte’s War on Drugs Drawing Criticism
Duterte’s war on drugs has claimed the lives of at least 12,000 people, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). The Filipino government puts the number lower at 3,900. To put that into perspective, Iran is known for being among the leading countries for executions, but according to HRW, it only executed roughly 500 people in 2017.
The drug war began on June 30th, 2016, when Duterte assumed office. The methods involved are similar to those used by Duterte when he was mayor of Davao City. There, the Davao Death Squad vigilante group was active. According to observers, the vigilantes were responsible for more than 1,000 disappearances and/or deaths from 1998 to 2008.
Public outcry has forced Duterte to pull the Philippine National Police (PNP) out of anti-drug operations. Killings have since declined but still appear to occur on a regular basis. In some cases, even children have been killed. In one instance, a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death, suffering approximately 30 knife wounds. The boy’s head had been wrapped with packing tape, a sign consistent with drug-war executions.
