Former President Rodrigo Duterte has challenged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to begin its investigation into his bloody war on drugs immediately.
Speaking at the quad-committee (quad-comm) hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 13, Duterte dared the ICC to “come here and start the investigation tomorrow”.
“I’m asking the ICC to hurry up and if possible they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow,” Duterte said during the interpellation of Makabayan’s Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas.
Duterte, 79, said he might die before the United Nations (UN)-backed body gets the chance to probe him.
“This issue has been left hanging for so many years. Matagal, ma’am, baka mamatay na ako hindi na nila ako maimbestigahan,” he said.
“The ICC does not scare me a bit. They can come here anytime. I suppose that you would want to maybe, make it easy for them to visit and start the investigation,” the ex-president declared during the interpellation of another Makabayan solon, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel.
It was March 2018 when then-president Duterte ordered the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute, which created the ICC.
According to critics, Duterte had the Philippines exit from the ICC to shield himself from scrutiny in connection with his bloody war on drugs.
“If I am found guilty, I will go to prison and rot there for all time,” he said, as he dismissed the allegations of a bloodbath during his term with his trademark nonchalance. (Ellson Quismorio)
