Teddy Boy Locsin, the Philippines’ ambassador to the United Nations, tweeted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) case about President Rodrigo Duterte and the extrajudicial killings in the country is “dead,” thanks to UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Agnes Callamard.
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This tweet came after he criticized Callamard’s visit to the Philippines in a series of tweets.
However, netizen Bernard Ong, hit back at Locsin for concluding that the communication that Jude Sabio, the lawyer of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato, filed on April 24 is dead.
In a Facebook post entitled “Educating Teddy Boy,” Ong said that Locsin was wrong and pointed out six basic lessons about Callamard’s role, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s role, and the ICC process in dealing with complaints.
Ong also noted Locsin’s controversial Nazi tweet about how “the Nazis were not all wrong” about killing millions of Jews.
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Ong’s first two lessons for Locsin were all about Callamard’s specific job title as a Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions for the UN and how she does not actually report to the ICC but to the UN High Commission for Human Rights and the UN General Assembly.
What does Callamard do exactly? Ong said, for this third lesson, that as a Special Rapporteur, Callamard’s job description includes “examining situations of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions in all circumstances for whatever reason; and to submit her findings annually to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly.”
As for Sabio’s accusation against Duterte and 11 other government officials about the ongoing killings in the Philippines, Ong said that the ICC case will be dealt with by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. This was his fourth basic lesson for Locsin.
Ong’s fifth lesson then explained Bensouda’s duties, which include investigating and prosecuting crimes such as crimes against humanity, genocide, aggression and war crimes.
For his last lesson, Ong said, “ICC case is independent of UN Special Rapporteur’s investigations.”
“While Callamard can only investigate, recommend & report, Bensouda can go farther. ICC Prosecutor can investigate, indict, prosecute, ultimately cause arrest if the suspect is convicted. She can, and is required, to conduct her own investigations,” he added.
Between the two, Ong noted, “Bensouda is the one to fear. She can send tyrants to jail.”
As his parting shot, Ong advised Locsin not to tweet Bensouda like he did with Callamard and not to call the ICC prosecutor a fool.
Sources: ( philstar.com , en.unesco.org )
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