Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday reminded President Rodrigo Duterte to not solely use emotion in his decision to withdraw the country’s membership from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Hindi dapat daanin sa init ng ulo ang pagwi-withdraw o hindi,” Robredo told reporters.
Earlier, Robredo referred to ICC as a ‘safety net’ for victims of human rights abuse.
“Delikado ito sa future generations. Kasi, papa’no kung naging mapang-abuso ‘yung nakaupo. Wala na tayong malalapitan,” Robredo said.
Amid disagreement on ICC decision, Duterte called Robredo ‘friend’ during the graduation rites of the 2018 Class of the Philippine Military Academy.
“Kaibigan man kami ni ma’am,” Duterte said.
The encounter was reportedly the first meeting of the leaders this year.
Duterte earlier announced that the country is withdrawing from the ICC, ordering it to be ‘effective immediately’.
Duterte cited the “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” of the ICC against him and his war-on-drugs campaign as basis for his decision.
“I therefore declare and forthwith give notice, as President of the Republic of the Philippines, that the Philippines is withdrawing its ratification of the Rome Statute effective immediately,” the President said in a statement.
