Atienza says no to international rights suit vs. Duterte over drug killings

<br /> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> Taking President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold him accountable for the spate of drug-related killings may be too soon, Buhay partylist Rep. Lito Atienza said Saturday.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> "I'm not in agreement with allowing international intervention. Bago natin payagan ang international organizations makialam sa ating bansa, tayo muna ang magtalo talo. Tayo bilang mga anak magsalita. The family that communicates will succeed," Atienza said at a weekly media forum in Quezon City.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre also shot down the possibility of Duterte being hailed to the Hague-based ICC as suggested by rights groups, telling a newspaper on Friday that "criminals are not humanity."</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> The ICC tries cases of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It is composed of 18 judges, including Raul Pangalangan, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> While he supports Duterte's crackdown on illegal drugs, Atienza noted that the authorities seemed to be soft on suspected big-time drug lords.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> The lawmaker cited the case of Albuera, Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was allowed to stay, along with his family, for days at the "White House," the official residence of the Philippine National Police chief, while facing investigation for protecting illegal drug operations.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> "Sa baba (small-time drug dealers) pinapatay. Yung number one suspected drug lord na mayor natutulog pa sa White House. Kanino ba yung White House? Di ba si chief PNP nakatira dun?" Atienza said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> He said the apparent kid glove treatment must stop or else the campaign won’t make much of a dent.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> "Pag di natin pinuna ang mga maling direksyon na ito, hindi magtatagumpay ang ating Pangulo. Magiging marahas lang lipunan natin. Magpapatayan tayo tuwing merong away," Atienza said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> "The point is we will develop and deteriorate into a society where violence reigns and killings are accepted if these things are allowed to happen. So President Duterte should take note of that and we will be very happy if he can correct the wrong direction that his campaign is being brought into."</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> Several quarters, particularly human rights groups, have called for a stop to the killings of suspected street-level pushers and urged the government to hold perpetrators accountable, whether they be from the drug syndicates or from law enforcers themselves.</div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Source Sans Pro"; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; word-wrap: break-word;"> There has been little public outcry over the killings, which have reached over 400, according to the PNP. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">— VVP, GMA News</strong></div> <br /> <br /> Source: <a href="http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/576605/news/nation/atienza-says-no-to-international-rights-suit-vs-duterte-over-drug-killings">GMA</a>

HUMAN RIGHTS Atienza says no to international rights suit vs. Duterte over drug killings

Taking President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to hold him accountable for the spate of drug-related killings ...

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