ICC arrest warrant for Putin 'fair warning' to Duterte drug war defenders – Hontiveros
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 18) – The arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Russian President Vladimir Putin should serve as a "fair warning" to defenders of the Duterte drug war, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said on Saturday.
"The arrest warrant for President Putin is a strong message to the global community that the world will not idly watch while war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity are being committed within territories of individual countries," the senator said.
The ICC on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova for an alleged scheme to forcibly deport over 16,000 Ukrainian children to Russia.
Russia is not a member of the ICC and the tribunal does not conduct trials in absentia, so charged officials would either have to be handed over by Moscow or arrested outside of Russia.
Hontiveros stressed that ICC member states "are duty bound to arrest those upon whom warrants are served" when they come into their territory.
"I can only hope that there is something to be learned from this. To those who continue to deny justice to victims of State-sponsored abuses, including the excesses of a failed Drug War, consider this fair warning," she added.
The ICC has authorized the resumption of the probe into former President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign that killed thousands of people.
RELATED: After ICC's move, ex-Pres. Duterte reiterates stand to only face local courts
But the government stands firm in its position that the ICC no longer has jurisdiction over the Philippines since the country already withdrew from the Rome Statute—the treaty that established the international tribunal.
EXPLAINER: ICC and its authority
Manila also has no intention of rejoining the ICC, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself.
RELATED: Marcos’ refusal to cooperate with ICC probe a ‘disincentive’ to foreign investors – lawmaker
