(Eagle News)—-The Supreme Court is holding today, Tuesday, Aug. 28, oral arguments on the Philippines’ planned withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
Two petitions against the planned withdrawal were filed separately—one by opposition senators Kiko Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV; and the other by the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court led by former Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales.
Earlier, the SC denied the request of De Lima, who is detained on drug charges, that she be allowed to personally appear in the oral arguments.
In announcing the country’s withdrawal from the ICC, President Rodrigo Duterte cited the “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” against him and his administration.
He also cited the “attempt by the ICC special prosecutor to place my person within the jurisdiction of the ICC, in violation of due process and presumption of innocence expressly guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution and recognized no less by the Rome Statute..”
Earlier, ICC special prosecutor Fatou Bensouda began a preliminary examination of the communication filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes against Duterte over the alleged human rights violations in the country’s war on drugs.
Below are the live oral arguments:
