MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will only commit to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), not the International Criminal Court, because the Philippines is no longer a member of the tribunal, the Department of Justice said.
“We no longer have a commitment to the ICC. But with Interpol, we do. Interpol is far-reaching, and we should be prepared. They are more significant, especially for Filipinos traveling around the world who may need Interpol’s assistance,” Remulla said during the Kapihan Forum at the DOJ.
Remulla responded to recent comments by Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who questioned whether he and Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra were defying the president’s policy on the international tribunal.
According to him, it’s clear that since the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC, the country has no obligation to respond to its investigation.
Though the Philippines is no longer an ICC member, Remulla pointed out that the country remains part of Interpol, which supports international police cooperation.
Solicitor General Guevarra said in July that the government cannot stop the ICC from investigating those it considers suspects. He added that the ICC prosecutor could visit the Philippines to interview them if needed.
Remulla had earlier mentioned that the Philippine government would not obstruct Interpol’s actions in the country, including the serving of arrest warrants, saying that the government would only participate if “certain conditions” were met.
“Marami ‘yung condition na ‘pag dapat na riyan. Is a crime punishable in the Philippines? Does a crime exist in the Philippines? Is sovereignty affected? And human rights are doing that as being violated,” Remulla said.
Following the issue of serving arrest warrants, Dela Rosa, who is one of the officials from the previous administration to be investigated by the international tribunal because of the war on drugs, has expressed concerns over Remulla’s remarks.
The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor has named several individuals as suspects, including Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Romeo Caramat Jr., former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and former PNP Intelligence Officer Eleazar Mata.
