Duterte withdrawing Philippines from International Criminal Court
An ICC prosecutor announced she was opening a preliminary examination into alleged extrajudicial killings stemming from an anti-drug crackdown.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said his country is withdrawing its ratification of a world treaty that created the International Criminal Court, where he is facing a possible complaint for crimes against humanity.
An ICC prosecutor announced last month that she was opening a preliminary examination into alleged extrajudicial killings stemming from Mr Duterte’s anti-drug crackdown.
Mr Duterte said the international court cannot acquire jurisdiction over him.
He said the Rome Statute that established the tribunal cannot be enforced in the Philippines because it has not been made public as required by law after senators ratified it in 2011.
Thousands of mostly poor drug suspects have been killed under Mr Duterte’s crackdown, but he has argued that the killings do not amount to crimes against humanity or genocide.
