News Roundup 28 March 2023
Mar 28, 2023 • 4 min Read
ICC Appeals Chamber denies Philippine request to suspend ‘drug war’ probe | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:13 p.m.) — The Philippines failed to convince the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court to suspend the investigation of the tribunal’s prosecutor into the alleged crimes against humanity committed in the course of the “war on drugs.”
In an eight-page decision issued Monday at The Hague in The Netherlands, the Appeals Chamber said it “rejects the request of the Republic of the Philippines for suspensive effect” of the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision.”
Manila, through the appeal filed by the Office of the Solicitor General, has asked the ICC’s Appeals Chamber to reverse the authorization its Pre-Trial Chamber granted to its prosecutors to resume investigation into the “war on drugs” of the Duterte administration. The Philippines also sought for the suspension of the investigation pending resolution of their request, and for the Appeals Chamber to determine that ICC’s prosecutors are not authorized to resume their probe.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra explained in an interview with CNN Philippines’ Balitaan that the Philippine government’s appeal itself has not been rejected and would take months or even years to be resolved. But the Appeals chamber had rejected their move to suspend the proceedings pending the resolution of their appeal.
The ICC’s Appeals Chamber said the Philippines failed to provide persuasive reasons for it to suspend Prosecutor Karim Khan’s investigation while it tackles Manila’s request to scrap the probe entirely.
“In the absence of persuasive reasons in support of ordering suspensive effect, the Appeals Chamber rejects the request. This is without prejudice to its eventual decision on the merits of the Philippines’ appeal against the Impugned Decision,” it said in the decision signed by Presiding Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut.
Full Story at: ICC Appeals Chamber denies Philippine request to suspend ‘drug war’ probe | Philstar.com
Hontiveros and Akbayan reject charter change, call for vigilance over possible political maneuvering | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros and other members of the Akbayan Party have called for greater public vigilance over moves to change the 1987 Constitution, saying that partisan interests could muddy the proposed constitutional convention if it pushes through.
In a forum on Tuesday, Hontiveros and former Rep. Barry Gutierrez (Akbayan party-list) expressed their opposition against Charter change and warned the public about the vested interests could affect con-con proceedings.
“One of the things we have to watch out for is that once a constitutional convention takes place, anyone with access can insert an agenda. And this is where we have to remain vigilant,” said Gutierrez, who is also a professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law.
“The last thing the Filipino people need is a sabotaging of their fundamental rights,” he added.
Hontiveros added that “the last thing we want is for political dynasties to further entrench themselves in power at the expense of the poor and the marginalized.”
Full Story at: Hontiveros and Akbayan reject charter change, call for vigilance over possible political maneuvering | Philstar.com
Leila de Lima: PH should stop spending gov’t funds to block ICC probe | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government should stop spending government funds to stonewall the ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, detained former Sen. Leila de Lima said on Tuesday.
De Lima said Duterte defenders in the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. should realize that the ICC will “enforce the Rome Statute so long as the Philippine government does not undertake a serious, in-depth and comprehensive investigation and prosecution of the masterminds of Duterte’s drug war killings.”
“The government should never take the cudgels for every public officer, let alone a former official, accused of committing criminal acts in the guise of defending Philippine sovereignty and jurisdiction over the criminals. Let Duterte and his co-conspirators in the drug war face the music before the ICC. Be on the side of humanity. Be on the right side of history,” De Lima said in a dispatch from Camp Crame.
She further argued that government funds should not be spent stalling the ICC probe “as this only benefits those being investigated by the ICC, and not the Filipino people.”
Full Story at: Leila de Lima: PH should stop spending gov’t funds to block ICC probe | Inquirer News
Greenpeace hits insurance firm of sunken MT Princess Empress | INQUIRER.NET – LUCENA CITY — The environmental group Greenpeace assailed the insurance company of the sunken MT Princess Empress after its lawyer allegedly dissuaded claimants from filing a case in court against the ship owner.
“It is utterly unacceptable that an insurer would discourage claimants from exercising their legal right to seek justice while dangling compensation money over their heads,” Jefferson Chua, Greenpeace Philippines campaigner said in a statement Tuesday (March 28).
He added: “Communities have suffered enough in the past month and the last thing they need is more disenfranchisement from companies who continue to operate with impunity.”
Greenpeace called on President Marcos Jr. “to demand reparations from those responsible for this ongoing catastrophe.”
Full Story at: Greenpeace hits insurance firm of sunken MT Princess Empress | Inquirer News
