The ICC deferral

I AM a teacher, and I teach international law to law students and lawyers. My job description does not include taking sides in the game of politics or lecturing about my political preferences. My job is to teach law and the black letters of treaties entered into by the Philippines and other states. A few days ago, newspapers carried a story about the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) having agreed to defer the investigation of the case filed against President Rodrigo Duterte and several others. Before I proceed, allow me to introduce you to the ICC and the Rome Statute.

The Rome Statute is the treaty that established the ICC for the purpose of ending impunity through the prosecution of unforgivable crimes. The jurisdiction of the court is limited to the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole. It is independent and is based in The Hague, the Netherlands. It is a permanent court that is composed of the presidency, an appeals division, a trial division, a pre-trial division, the Office of the Prosecutor and the registry.