Ranks up there with—the dog ate my homework

Just My Opinion

By Raïssa Robles

President Rodrigo Duterte claims the International Criminal Court cannot prosecute him mainly because the Rome Statute which created the ICC never took effect in the Philippines.

He argues that although the Senate did ratify it,  the Rome Statute was never published in the Official Gazette nor in any Philippine newspaper of general circulation.

Thus, he concludes in his nine-page “Statement” issued on March 13, 2018: “There being no jurisdiction of the said law, it stands to reason that the Rome Statute cannot be enforceable in the Philippines hence the International Criminal Court has not acquired jurisdiction nor can it acquire jurisdiction over my person.”

This lame excuse is similar to a student telling his teacher that the dog ate his homework. [READ MORE…]