Nanawagan kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang mga mambabatas na seryosohin ang babala ng International Criminal Court (ICC) na nagsabing susubaybayan nito ang mga kaganapan sa bansa, dahil nag-aalala sila sa extrajudicial killings.
Ayon kina Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers at Kabayan partylist Rep. Harry Roque, hindi dapat balewalain ng gobyerno ang pahayag ni ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda sa The Hague, kung saan sinabing pwede silang manghimasok sa extrajudicial killings sa Pilipinas, kung isusulong nila ang state policy.
“I’m sure the President will cooperate and certainly help in the investigation of the ICC in order to determine the perpetrators of extrajudicial killings and eventually put them to justice. But, we should not stop and lose the momentum in the war against drugs otherwise all the initial gains will be wasted,” ayon kay Barbers, chairman ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.
Sa panig naman ni Roque, sinabi nitong dapat nang mag-imbestiga ang Pangulo sa summary executions, at tigilan na rin ang pagpapalabas ng maaanghang na salita.
“The President should be more careful with his language and should investigate and punish the killers. He should not take the warning lightly,” dagdag pa ni Roque.
Dapat ding mag-ingat ang Pangulo sa giyera nito laban sa droga, ayon naman kay Deputy Speaker at Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu.
“President Duterte should not be affected by the road-blocks in his war against corruption, criminality and drugs which after-all are within the bounds of law. Though he should also proceed with caution,” ani Abu.
Ang pahayag ng mga mambabatas ay reaksyon kay Bensouda, kung saan sinabi nito na “public statements of high officials of the Republic of the Philippines seem to condone such killings and further seem to encourage State forces and civilians alike to continue targeting these individuals with lethal force.”
Ang ICC ay nag-iimbestiga at naglilitis ng mga kaso tulad ng genocide, crimes against humanity at war crimes.
(Charissa M. Luci)