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‘Good luck’, Roque tells opposition in Senate amid ICC withdrawal

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Wednesday, May 16, wished opposition senators good luck after they challenged before the Supreme Court (SC) President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Roque dismissed the petition filed by opposition senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino, Leila De Lima, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday afternoon which declared Duterte’s decision “ineffective” for skipping Senate approval.

“Well, good luck to them, I don’t think [there is legal] basis,” Roque said.

Roque said Duterte “remains the chief architect of foreign policy”.

“Kasi pag certiorari kinakailangan may (Because when you say certiorari there should be) grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excessive jurisdiction. You cannot allege that on matters of foreign affairs,” said Roque.

Roque, citing the law, said Senate approval is only needed in entering international treaties, not otherwise.

“Wala pong requirement [pag] tayo ay lalabas sa tratado,” he said.

In March, Duterte announced that the Philippines is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC) ‘effective immediately’.

Duterte said that the basis for his decision is the “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” of the ICC against him and his war-on-drugs campaign, adding that the attempt of the ICC to place him under the tribunal’s jurisdiction as another reason.

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