By Reni M. Valenzuela
Battling crimes against humanity is a battle not against any particular person or group of people, but against evils (Ephesians 6:12) to protect a nation’s citizenry and the world as a whole – from evils within.
If Ferdinand M. Marcos Jr. doesn’t have the intention/inclination to become a despot someday or if it is not in his nature/heart to be ruthless and murderous as President of the Philippines, and he means upholding justice and human rights, then he should have no qualm/problem in allowing the country to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), unless he has other reason/s, vapid and diminutive, outside of championing national interest and justice.
Only abusive, cruel governments will not want to be part of the ICC.
Drug users/addicts are victims more than blights in society. The crimes they commit are basically and largely caused by their government’s failure to stop the proliferation of illegal drug supposedly by way of neutralizing drug syndicates, not by extrajudicial killing (EJK), much less of the hapless, helpless, defenseless, poor small fry. On the one hand, the crimes committed/perpetrated by people in positions of power/authority allegedly to abet evils, in the guise of good governance, are themselves instruments (wittingly or unwittingly) of evils that are more evil than the evils they aim to crush.
In addition to the works and mission of the ICC, the existence of the Court itself is a deterrent to future atrocities by any government to its own people. Membership to the ICC is required for official recognition, but not as a means for the Court to get bridled from doing/performing its edict for non-member nations – to defend and advocate justice. The world is one.
Correct, we have a working criminal justice system, but is it working well, fairly, equitably and free from political and all sorts of influence-peddling and/or manipulation, not to mention corruption and “frat mentality” among authorities concerned? Reality bites.
The ICC is an independent body that serves a larger purpose to benefit a larger world in great and noble ways, besides endeavoring to end impunity as its main thrust. Its jurisdiction is officially stated as follows:
“The ICC has jurisdiction over the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole, crimes against humanity and war crimes… as well as the crime of aggression… The Court is intended to complement, not to replace, national criminal justice system. It can prosecute cases only if national justice systems do not carry out proceedings or when they claim to do so but in reality are unwilling or unable to carry out such proceedings genuinely.” Truth hideth not. Micah 6:8.
Therefore, In light of the fact that the kind of justice system we have in the country is far, far, less than ideal or indefectible, how can the victims of EJK or drug war be given justice? Mercy! And how can the ICC coming into the picture be an “assault to Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity”?
Can these officials and pundits say the same thing about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that justly rendered a verdict favorable to our country and which verdict they so embrace and use to assert our right over what is ours – the West Philippine Sea? Moreover, what if their children or loved ones are among the countless, several thousands of casualties of EJK?
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the powerful, but in righteousness you are to judge the people fairly.” – Leviticus 19:15
The Philippines may now rejoin the ICC.
