Ibinasura ng Pre-Trial Chamber I ng International Criminal Court (ICC) ang kanilang petisyon sa inihain ng kampo ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na ‘challenge to jurisdiction’ sa kaso ng huli.
“The Chamber finds that the Court can exercise its jurisdiction in the present case over the crimes alleged against Mr Duterte that were committed on the territory of the Philippines while it was a State Party,” saad ng ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I.
Tinanggihan din nila ang hiling ng defense panel na ipagpaliban ng mga hukom ng Pre-Trial Chamber I ang kanilang pagdedesisyon sa naturang ‘challenge to jurisdiction.’
Ipinaliwanag ng Pre-Trial Chamber I na bagaman nag-withdraw na ang Pilipinas sa pagiging state member ng ICC, sinimulan na ng korte ang preliminary examination sa bansa noong Pebrero 2018, bago pa man isumite ng gobyerno ang written notification of withdrawal mula sa ICC.
“That withdrawal took effect on 17 March 2019. The Philippines was therefore a State Party to the Statute and was bound by its provisions from 1 November 2011 to 16 March 2019. The crimes against humanity alleged against Mr Duterte in the present case were committed during that time period,” mababasa sa 32 pahinang dokumento ng desisyon ng mga hukom.
Iginiit din nila na batay sa Article 127(2) ng Rome Statute, sinasabi dito na “A state shall not be discharged, by reason of its withdrawal, from the obligations arising from this Statute whose it was a Party to the Statute.”
Ito ay nangangahulugan na hindi makakaapekto ang anumang pakikipag-ugnayan ng state member at ICC sa mga criminal investigation at proceedings na una nang sinimulan bago pa maging epektibo ang withdrawal ng state member mula sa ICC.
Ulat ni Jilliane Libunao