ICC prosecutor’s office rejects claim probe was ‘funded’ by Trillanes, Co
The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday rejected claims made by alleged ex-Marines, through lawyer Levito Baligod, that some of the expenses it incurred while investigating the Duterte drug war were shouldered by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co.
Asserting the independence of the Hague-based ICC, the OTP said its activities are “funded through the Court’s budget approved by the ICC Assembly of States Parties and subject to established oversight mechanisms.”
“The costs related to OTP prosecutions and investigative activities, including mission expenses, are fully covered by this budget, and managed strictly by the Office in an independent and transparent manner, and in accordance with ICC financial rules and regulations,” it added.
The assembly is the court’s management oversight and legislative body composed of representatives of the states that ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC and entered into force on July 1, 2002. The ICC website said there are 125 state parties to the statute.
Out of ICC since 2019
The Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2019, during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is now detained in The Hague, the Netherlands, to face charges of crimes against humanity.
Duterte was ordered arrested by the international court on charges stemming from the alleged extrajudicial killings that marked the antidrug campaign he waged, first as Davao City mayor and later as president.
“The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court independently collects information relevant to its investigations, identifies the individuals from whom it collects witness statements, and assesses the credibility, reliability, and relevance of all sources of information it requests and receives,” the ICC told the Inquirer in an email.
It also emphasized that when it comes to disclosing information on its cases, there are “strict” regulations in place.
“As a matter of policy, the Office does not comment on operational matters with respect to ongoing investigations and prosecutions. This is essential to protect the integrity of investigations and operations, to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the Office interacts, as well as its staff,” the ICC said.
Baligod: No bona fide probe
Baligod made the claim on Tuesday, during the same week of Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing at the ICC.
The lawyer alleged that ICC investigators did not conduct a “bona fide” investigation in the country regarding the Duterte case and interviewed only witnesses sent by Trillanes, a staunch critic of the former president.
He also alleged that Trillanes received $2 million from Co to finance the investigation of the ICC on the drug war.
Trillanes on Thursday again denied the accusation, noting that the accusation was meant to undermine the ICC’s ongoing confirmation of charges hearing against Duterte.
Malacañang agreed that the bribery allegations against the ICC was an attempt to delegitimize and tarnish the credibility of the tribunal.
“Most likely, whatever their motives, the ICC could potentially be discredited and stripped of credibility and integrity,” Palace press officer Claire Castro said in Filipino. —WITH A REPORT FROM LUISA CABATO
