The Philippines, as a legitimate member of the world community, must accede to the jurisdiction of the prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) with respect to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

The rule of law is not limited to parochial confines. It must conform to the world order. 

Perforce, the Philippines must submit to the jurisdiction of ICC’s prosecutors over crimes against humanity consequent to the brutal anti-narcotics campaign which were committed prior to the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute on 17 March 2018.

The principle of complementarity, which respects the jurisdiction of national courts, cannot be invoked by the Philippines because no less than the alleged principal culprit, former President Duterte, has not been investigated by local authorities nor charged in Philippine courts even as other major reported offenders have eluded justice with impunity. 

EDCEL C. LAGMAN