MANILA — Senator Francis ‘TOL’ N. Tolentino urged the Marcos government to continue monitoring the proceedings before the International Criminal Court (ICC) despite Malacanang’s recent pronouncement to fully disengage with the tribunal.
“The disengagement would mean that formally we will not allow them–not cooperate. But they (Marcos administration) should be monitoring what would be happening within the premises of the ICC,” Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
Tolentino explained that it should be wise for the Office of the Solicitor General to continue monitoring what is happening before the said tribunal, adding that “disengagement would not mean a total lack of communication.”
“We should be aware of what is going on,” he said.
The senator stressed that considering that the resolution by the ICC’s Appeals Chamber is a split decision, there is a chance that even a potential warrant of arrest to be issued “can be quashed and set aside by the Free Trial Chamber.”
Tolentino said that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to fully disengage with ICC was the right thing to do since the tribunal no longer has jurisdiction over the Philippines after it pulled out in 2019 and since the supposed investigations have only commenced after the date of the effectivity of the withdrawal. (ai/mnm)
