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MANILA, Philippines — Former Workplace of the Vice President (OVP) spokesperson Barry Gutierrez has suggested former president Rodrigo Duterte to cease avoiding the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) investigation, as he has nothing to concern if he has completed nothing fallacious.
Gutierrez, who can also be a former Home lawmaker, threw again to Duterte on Thursday a line used to lecture suspected drug customers and sellers in the course of the top of the drug battle — when you have not completed one thing fallacious, why are you afraid?
“Dadagdag ko lang ang isang nausong hirit noong nakaraang administrasyon: Kung wala kayong kasalanan, bakit kayo takot na takot?” Gutierrez, who was with OVP in the course of the tenure of opposition chief and ex-vice president Leni Robredo, mentioned.
(I’d identical to to make use of a punchline that turned well-known over the past administration: When you’ve got not completed something fallacious, why are you so afraid?)
“Kung pinaninindigan niyo ang pagpapatupad sa so-called ‘drug battle’ ninyo, bakit iwas kayo ng iwas sa ICC?,” he added.
(If you happen to insist that the implementation of your so-called drug battle was above board, why do you keep away from the ICC?)
Gutierrez mentioned he’s optimistic concerning the ICC probe lastly transferring inside 2024.
“This 2024 may see motion on the ICC case relating to the so-called drug battle,” he claimed.
Gutierrez together with Robredo have been among the many staunchest critics of Duterte’s drug battle — their criticism was so fierce to the purpose that the previous president dared Robredo to tackle a drug czar position late 2019.
READ: BREAKING: Robredo accepts drug czar put up provide
Duterte and different key officers of his administration — like Senator Ronald dela Rosa who was the ex-president’s first police chief — are respondents in complaints filed by drug battle victims’ relations earlier than the ICC.
The drug battle victims’ kin alleged that Duterte, dela Rosa, and different officers dedicated the crime in opposition to humanity of mass homicide, when the federal government applied the battle in opposition to unlawful medicine.
Nevertheless, Duterte and his allies preserve that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, particularly because the nation withdrew from the Rome Statute — the treaty that created the ICC — in March 2018.
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Dela Rosa, for his half, mentioned that he nonetheless holds on to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s assurance that ICC investigators wouldn’t be allowed within the Philippines. However within the case that probers are given entry by the Marcos administration, dela Rosa mentioned that Duterte could run for a Senate seat in 2025.
