ICC International Court - Lack of Law knowledge: Cannot go After Philippines' Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte. (ACE MORANDANTE/PPD)

International court can’t go after Duterte

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) says any person who encourages or condones President Digong’s war on drugs is liable to be prosecuted before the court.

“Let me be clear: any person in the Philippines who incites or engages in acts of violence including by ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing in any other manner, to the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC is potentially liable to prosecution before the court,” ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement recently.

The ICC would then be prosecuting 76 percent of Filipinos who encourage the elimination of lowlifes in our society such as people who commit heinous crimes or peddle illicit drugs.

That’s 76 million Filipinos out of the total population of 100 million.

According to the latest survey of the Social Weather Station, 76 percent of the population approve of what President Digong is doing for the country.

The killing of criminals in the government’s war on drugs (drug traffickers, drug pushers and peddlers are considered criminals) is not within the ambit of the ICC.

You see, the Hague-based court’s mandate is to investigate and when warranted, try individuals charged with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Genocide refers to the mass slaughter of people on account of their race, religion, culture or political belief.

Peddlers of illicit drugs are not being singled out because of race (they’re Filipinos like the rest of us), religion (they’re Christian or Muslim like the rest of us), culture (they have the same culture as the rest of us) and political belief (they’re apolitical and criminal).

The Philippines is not at war with any country; therefore, President Digong is not committing any war crime if he really ordered—granting but not admitting—the killing of drug criminals.

“Humanity” refers to people in general; therefore, Digong cannot be charged with a crime against humanity as he is not a misanthrope or one who hates mankind.

It was unfair and stupid of ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to accuse Digong of committing genocide, a war crime or crime against humanity in his war on drugs.

Why didn’t the International Criminal Court investigate and try then US President George W. Bush of committing war crimes when he ordered US troops to invade Iraq?

It was only in Bush’s imagination that Iraq was keeping weapons of mass destruction.

Bush was eventually proven wrong when not a single weapon of mass destruction was found in Iraq and only after the US had already invaded that country.

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg says that from 2012 to 2016, “USAID (United States Agency for International Development) contributed more than P3 billion to Mindanao and the ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao), with P500 million specifically allocated for health services.”

Because of the souring relations between the Philippines and the United States, Goldberg’s statement sounds like he’s, as we call it in Filipino, “nanunumbat.”

Goldberg is practically telling the Filipino people, “Hey, you are so ungrateful! We give you so much money and yet you bite the hand that feeds you.” – Inquirer.net

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Ruder Finn Signs Partnership Agreement with ENGAGE PR Consultancy in the Philippines

Ruder Finn Founded in 1989, Ruder Finn Asia (www.ruderfinnasia.com) is the Asia-Pacific subsidiary of New York-based Ruder Finn (www.ruderfinn.com), the leading independent global public relations consulting firm. Photo: everything-pr.com

Ruder Finn Asia and ENGAGE, a member company of the EON The Stakeholder Relations Group, have signed a partnership agreement under which ENGAGE will become the Philippine affiliate of Ruder Finn's comprehensive Asia Pacific network. The agreement will enable ENGAGE to tap into the Ruder Finn international network in all markets outside the Philippines.

ENGAGE is a full-fledged PR agency that specializes in public affairs and government relations consultancy and has an extensive list of clients and services that complement Ruder Finn's own portfolio and offerings. ENGAGE and Ruder Finn have been working together for many years for clients across a wide range of industries.

The partnership is expected to expand both firms' presence in the Risk Management sector. ENGAGE will be able to tap into the regional network of Ruder Finn to access new markets while Ruder Finn can leverage on ENGAGE's strong presence in the ASEAN region to expand its own market reach. The two companies will continue to expand their offerings in crisis management, including RF's unique and proprietary Social Media Issues product, SONAR, which will complement ENGAGE's own proprietary listening suite of tools.

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, said: "We are fortunate to have partnered with a company of ENGAGE's caliber for many years and this union will reinforce our commitment to helping our clients through transitional moments. With the rise of digital, the growth of the services economy, and a renewed focus on transparency and accountability in the Philippines, the need for smart, strategic risk management support has become critical to companies at all levels. Ruder Finn's global insights and vast network, combined with ENGAGE's deep knowledge of the Filipino landscape, will maximize our ability to service clients across the ASEAN region."

Jean-Michel Dumont, Chairman of Ruder Finn Asia, said: "The Philippines is very important in the region for many of our clients, and we also see many Philippines-based companies looking to expand in the region. This partnership will further extend our regional reach and strengthen our network. I have known EON's founder, Junie del Mundo, for more than 20 years and through the years, he and his team's professionalism have always been at the highest level."

EON Group's Chief Executive, Junie del Mundo, said: "The Philippines is one of the most promising economies in the region, but also one that takes experience and expertise to navigate. ENGAGE takes pride in its years of experience handling clients in highly regulated and sensitive industries, and we look forward to sharing our expertise in this area as we also learn from Ruder Finn's extensive risk management knowledge base." – PR Newswire

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