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Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to reassess his position regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC) and consider rejoining the international tribunal.
Pimentel made the call before members of the diplomatic community during a foreign policy address at the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday.
The senator said rejoining the ICC would serve as an “insurance policy” against potential abuses of leaders and in the event the justice system fails.
“Let us rejoin the ICC. We should treat this as our ‘insurance policy’ just in case ‘our system’ fails us and we get to elect an abusive, tyrannical, heartless leader, and our justice system fails us too,” Pimentel said in his speech.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018 announced the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC after the tribunal announced in 2017 that it was conducting an investigation into his anti-drug campaign.
Pimentel pointed out that joining the ICC is an executive action, and that the ball is in the President’s court, as he called on Marcos to sign the necessary documents for rejoining the ICC.
Meanwhile on the sidelines of the address, Pimentel said his proposal for the country to re-enter the ICC would act as the Filipino people’s recourse against a “killer” and “tyrannical” leader, or when the justice system fails.
“We are monitoring the Quad Com, and here in the Senate, we also have an investigation. We’ve seen that in the worst-case scenario where our systems fail, such as when our democratic system elects a killer as a leader, one without conscience or compassion, and our justice system is slow to respond. In those events, it’s best to have an ‘insurance policy,’” he said.
In February, Marcos stood firm on his stance that he will not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines.
BRICS
Further, in the same forum, Pimentel recommended the Philippines to join the BRICS alliance.
“Let the Philippines apply to join BRICS. The march to a multi-polar world is inevitable as such is consistent with human nature. We should support the idea of a multi-polar world,” he said.
Pimentel argued that joining BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, would boost the Philippines’ stance within a more balanced global power structure.
Also, BRICS is a viable alternative to the alleged current Western-dominated global order.
Pimentel said it is about time the Philippines rectify its foreign policy strategy and tactic.
“We should re-calibrate our foreign policy strategy and tactics towards projecting this particular image of the Philippines to the entire world – that the Philippines is a friend to all Nations and is a responsible and law-abiding member of the community of Nations,” he said.
“The ultimate test that we have to pass to say that we have succeeded in this mission is if the Philippines becomes accepted by the rest of the world as their natural choice for a neutral venue for ‘talks, especially those involving the settling of disputes,” he added. —KG, GMA Integrated News