A POLITICIZED INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC): THE PHILIPPINES SHOULD PULL OUT

Did you know that the Philippines can pull out of the International Criminal Court (ICC) at any time? The Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, allows for states to withdraw from the ICC. In fact, some world powers (countries) refuse membership in the ICC or do not recognized its authority or jurisdiction. Believe it or not, the United States (U.S.) is one of them.

Israel had refused to be a party to the ICC because it has concerns that political pressure on the Court would lead it to reinterpret international law or to "invent new crimes".
United States is not a party to the ICC because its constitution does not allow cession of judicial authority to any institution other than the U.S. Supreme Court.

China and Russia have consistently opposed the International Criminal Court, on the basis that it goes against the sovereignty of nation states, that the principle of complementarity gives the Court the ability to judge a nation's court system.

The ICC is much like the United Nations (UN) that is composed of member countries, and just like the UN - politics play a major role in its affairs. Other non-member world powers have accused the ICC of bias against certain individuals or groups or countries.

How can an institution such as the ICC be trusted with an unbiased perspective when its members’ motivations and decisions are held accountable to the bar of public opinion? Pres. Duterte should take steps in order to rescind our country’s membership from the ICC as soon as possible.