📷Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra
HINDI hahadlangan ng administrasyong Marcos Jr. ang isasagawang panayam ng International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor sa limang indibidwal na itinuturing na suspects sa madugong drug war na ipinatupad ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, sabi ni Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra sa panayam sa The Big Story sa One News kahapon.
Kinompirma ni Guevarra na nagpadala ng request ang ICC sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) para makapanayam ang limang katao na naunang isiniwalat ni dating Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV na sina Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, dating Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde, dating PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Major Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, at dating PNP chief intelligence officer Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta.
Ipinabatid aniya ng DFA ang nasabing request sa Office of the Solicitor General at sa Office of the President kamakailan ngunit hindi naghahanda ang pamahalaan ng anomang tugon sa hirit ng ICC dahil umalis na sa Rome Statute ang Pilipinas mula pa noong 2019.
“Yes. There is a communication. There is a request from the ICC prosecutor requesting assistance from the Philippine government to facilitate the interview of five individuals,” sabi ni Guevarra.
Maaari naman aniyang isagawa ang panayam sa limang indibidwal sa The Hague, The Netherlands o kaya ay sa Pilipinas at kung hindi maaari ang dalawang opsyon, nais ng ICC na gawin ito ng Philippine government para sa ICC prosecutor.
“And the reason for this, is this: The ICC prosecutor cannot apply for a warrant of arrest unless he has full information about the facts that happened in the Philippine drug war. So far, the ICC prosecutor has seen much on the side of the complainants, but nothing much on the side of those being accused. So it is the duty of the Prosecutor under Article 54 of the Rome Statute to investigate all facts, whether incriminating or exonerating so that he presents a balanced picture to the pre-trial Chamber who will determine whether it will issue a warrant of arrest or not,” paliwanag ni Guevarra.
Sinabi ni Guevarra na ang pinal na desisyon ay magmumula sa Office of the President kahit may inirekomenda na siyang tugon sa kahilingan ng ICC.
“I am not sure about the final reply to the ICC prosecutor. But knowing fully well that the Philippine government, the President (Marcos) has repeatedly stated that we have no legal duty to cooperate or to lend assistance, then probably the answer is negative,”giit niya.
“But that does not mean that the ICC prosecutor cannot continue his investigation. He can do so. He can interview these five people directly. All that we’re saying is the government will not be involved,” dagdag ni Guevarra.
“No, we will not get in the way. The ICC prosecutor can do that voluntarily, by himself, directly talking to these people.” (ROSE NOVENARIO)