Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman, Chairperson of the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality. Photo by House of Representatives
BATAAN Rep. Geraldine Roman on Tuesday urged the Marcos administration to reaffiliate the country with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on Women and Gender Equality, made the appeal amid the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on the strength of a warrant from the ICC.
The former leader is accused of committing crimes against humanity in connection with thousands of Filipinos who died in the court of his bloody war on drugs.
Roman told a news conference that it was her personal suggestion that the country rejoin the ICC.
“Lumabas tayo unilaterally (Executive decision) from the ICC. I think it’s about time bumalik tayo sa ICC at ipakita natin sa buong mundo na itong bansang ito ay gumagalang sa ating mga batas at sa mga international law,” Roman said.
“Wala pong masama doon mga kababayan. Ang batas ang ating tanging sandigan at proteksyon sa pang-aabuso, pati kaming nasa mga posisyon ng kapangyarihan. Ito lamang ang kasiguruhan na merong pagbabatayan ang ating mga hukuman upang bigyan tayo ng katarungan kung tayo ay naapi o naagrabyado,” she said.
She said the country’s reaffiliation with the ICC would be consistent with the aspiration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. to uphold the rule of law “because he has nothing to hide.”
“So, sana po panawagan ko, bumalik na po tayo sa ICC. If this is a position that recognizes a rule-based order around the world, then let’s walk the talk. Let’s go back to the folds of the ICC because naniniwala ako wala naman dapat tayong ikatakot. Dahil naniniwala rin po ako na ang ating Pangulo ay desidido na i-uphold ang rule of law at wala siyang itatago,” she added.
On March 17, 2018, at about the time that the ICC was already investigating him in connection with his brutal war on drugs, then President Duterte formally notified the United Nations secretary general that the Philippines was withdrawing from the ICC.
However, the ICC treaty allows the international tribunal to retain its jurisdiction over crimes committed prior to a country-signatory’s withdrawal.
Roman said as a Filipino, she was saddened by the arrest of former President Duterte, which is a development “that may potentially divide the country.”
“But as a public servant and as a legislator, I realize that these developments are but natural consequences of the decisions of the parties involved to carry out policies that operated outside the boundaries of the law. And this cannot be tolerated,” she said.
“As a legislator and a public servant, kinakailangan po naming i-uphold ang rule of law. Bagama’t maaring hindi mag-agree ang mga ilang tao sa aming postura, sa aming stand, wala po kaming choice, kundi sundin ang ating Saligang Batas at ating mga batas. At bilang bansa na rin, ang Pilipinas ay dapat magpakita na mayroong rule of law,” she said.
Roman urged the former president’s allies and supporters to look at his arrest as his chance to prove his innocence.
“Kung hindi kayo naniniwala sa mga local courts, at least, bigyan niyo ng chance naman ang ICC. Look at this as a chance for the former President to air his side. Yung hindi tayo nananatili sa duda. If he truly believes that he is innocent of the charges, I’m sure he’ll come up with evidence to prove so…. So, let’s give time to due process also. And you just have to trust the process too,” she said.
She said the country has to take the “higher moral ground” even if the former leader’s administration is accused of crimes against humanity by killing thousands of drug suspects and even innocent civilians.
“If as a nation and as a government, we claim to respect the rule of law, then we should be the first ones to observe it. Naniniwala ako na when we say na kelangan may due process, kelangan may rule of law, sundin natin ito. At sabi ko nga, the former President is innocent until proven guilty. Let the ICC do its work… Masaklap pakinggan na parang it’s ironic, pero hindi tayo ganoon. We take the higher moral ground, and this is the only way we can have moral authority to actually talk about the rule of law when we actually practice it,” she stressed.
She pointed out that Duterte’s arrest is a warning to leaders and their underlings that “you can be as creative as you want, you can be as determined as you want, but you have to operate within the bounds of the law.”
“It is always the law. First and foremost, our Constitution and then the body of laws that we have promulgated as a republic. So ‘yun lang. Batas lang dapat ang manaig,” she said.
