News Roundup 23 July 2023
Jul 23, 2023 • 5 min Read
Government vs ICC: Confrontation possible | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The government may resort to “outright confrontation” in dealing with prosecutors from the International Criminal Court (ICC) who might insist on entering the country to investigate thousands of extrajudicial killings allegedly committed by security forces in the conduct of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, a ranking justice official said yesterday.
“We may prevent them from entering, outright confrontation,” Department of Justice (DOJ) Senior Undersecretary Raul Vasquez said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.
But he stressed ICC investigators may also be allowed to enter the country, “subject to limitations,” depending on arrangements with the government.
The President as chief policymaker, he added, will have the final say on the matter.
“Right now, his decision is not to engage with the ICC. That means, we won’t coordinate, we won’t allow them to come here as ICC,” Vasquez said.
President Marcos earlier said his administration is “done” with the ICC after the tribunal junked a government appeal and decided to proceed with its investigation into the drug war killings.
Marcos reiterated that the government will not cooperate “in any way or form” with the ICC, citing the Philippines’ arguments that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country and has no right to resume its investigation.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said the government is still open to dialogue with the ICC, depending on the agenda.
With the junking of the government’s appeal, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan and his team may continue to gather evidence and request for the issuance of arrest warrants or summonses if he determines there are substantial grounds to do so.
Vasquez explained that the ICC has no enforcement mechanism and would need help from its member-states in enforcing decisions or investigating crimes.
“They have no authority to do investigations here because that is a mandate of our law enforcement agencies. They are not members of our law enforcement,” he said, referring to ICC prosecutors.
Insult to victims
By deciding against cooperating with the ICC, the Marcos administration is insulting victims of extrajudicial killings and is showing weakness and duplicity, a lawyer assisting the families of victims of drug war killings said.
“We think that a complete disengagement with the ICC signifies, on one hand, that the Marcos government is afraid of the ICC uncovering systematic, programmatic killings and, on the other, that it is merely posturing for political convenience in the international arena,” Kristina Conti said.
Full Story at: Government vs ICC: Confrontation possible | Philstar.com
Signal No. 1 up in parts of Luzon, Visayas due to ‘Egay’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — State weather bureau PAGASA on Sunday afternoon raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 in parts of Luzon and Visayas as Severe Tropical Storm Egay (international name: Doksuri) continued to intensify.
Egay was last spotted 560 kilometers east of Daet in Camarines Norte, with peak winds of 110 kph near the center and gusts of up to 135 kph.
PAGASA hoisted Signal No. 1 in the following areas:
- Catanduanes
- Eastern portion of Camarines Sur (Garchitorena, Caramoan, Presentacion)
- Northern portion of Aurora (Casiguran, Dilasag)
- Eastern portion of Isabela (Dinapigue, Divilacan, Maconacon, Palanan, Ilagan City, San Mariano, Tumauini, San Pablo, Cabagan)
- Eastern portion of Cagayan (Santa Ana, Gonzaga, Lal-Lo, Gattaran, Baggao, Peñablanca)
- Northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Oras, Arteche, Jipapad)
- Eastern portion of Northern Samar (Lapinig, Gamay, Mapanas, Palapag, Laoang, Catubig, Pambujan)
Areas under Signal No. 1 will experience strong winds — strong breezes to near gale strength winds — that may result in minor damage.
Full Story at: Signal No. 1 up in parts of Luzon, Visayas due to ‘Egay’ | Philstar.com
2 suspected NPA rebels killed in Northern Samar clash | INQUIRER.NET – TACLOBAN CITY – Two suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed while a soldier was wounded in an encounter in Pambujan, Northern Samar on Saturday.
The fatalities were identified as Jerry Lutao alias “Nadi” and Brando Obiado alias “Idol” and team leader of the front committee I, sub-regional committee of the rebel group operating in Northern Samar.
Private First Class Perry Idanan was wounded and was last listed in stable condition.
The two sides engaged in a 20-minute firefight in Sitio Badulan, Barangay Cagbigajo, a remote village more than five kilometers away from the town center.
Troops from the 19th Infantry Battalion headed by Lt. Col. Marvin Maraggun, were in the area to respond to an information that the 10 communist rebels were there to harass the locals.
Full Story at: 2 suspected NPA rebels killed in Northern Samar clash | Inquirer News
Pope urges world leaders to do more to tackle climate change | INQUIRER.NET – VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis said on Sunday that recent heat waves across many parts of the world and flooding in countries such as South Korea showed that more urgent action was needed to tackle climate change.
“Please, I renew my appeal to world leaders to do something more concrete to limit polluting emissions,” the Pope said at the end of his Angelus message to crowds in St. Peter’s Square.
“It is an urgent challenge, it cannot be postponed, it concerns everyone. Let us protect our common home,” the pope added.
Francis has called on the world to rapidly ditch fossil fuels and made the protection of the environment a cornerstone of his pontificate. He noted in his landmark 2015 “Laudato Si” (Praised Be) encyclical that the planet was “beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth”.
Full Story at: Pope urges world leaders to do more to tackle climate change | Inquirer News
