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In the recent decision of “guilty”by the International People’s Tribunal against President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for violating the political and economic rights of Filipinos, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said it is a sham and cannot be enforced in the Philippines when asked by THEPHILBIZNEWS.
While the jurors said that they based their decision on the wealth of data, information, facts, analyses and other evidence presented and submitted before them and we have made an initial analysis and observation, the said decision is not enforceable in the Philippines.
The Ombudsman further explained that any impartial lawyer worth his cent will say the decision is a sham and cannot be enforced in the Philippines. He also cited his observation on the case of Australian nun, Patricia Fox by saying, “Sr. Fox to me is just a simple abusive foreigner. I was once a witness where a foreign tourist was denied entry in a European country. SC Justice Ben Caguioa witnessed a Filipino (that he was following in the queue) denied entry in Frankfurt, his passport confiscated and was ordered to board the next flight to the Philippines. Reason? The German authorities found out that he cancelled all his hotel bookings in Germany and another European country so they suspected him to be a TNT (Tago Ng Tago)”
While we are seeking clarification on the relevance of this example given by the Ombudsman, there was no further response on our questions including the legitimacy of the IPT.
The sentiment of Ombudsman Martires is the same sentiment that was expressed by Presidential mouthpiece Harry Roque who said that the proceeding and verdict of the International People’s Tribunal as “sham” and “that it was not the official proceeding but mere propaganda proceeding perpetuated by the Leftists group.
President Duterte has already explicitly expressed the withdrawal of the Philippines from the International Criminal Court because of “the baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks on my person as well as against my administration, engineered by the officials of the United Nations.”
Meanwhile, the lawyers of Karapatan and National Union of People insisted that the IPT is a legitimate venue for redress and grievances.
They further explained by saying, “The IPT follows and respects due process where the Defendants are duly notified and given an adequate opportunity to participate and defend themselves; has its rules of procedure that is consistent with universal standards of evidence; convened by prestigious and respected international lawyers’ organizations; presided by a panel of eminent jurors of different disciplines; and where the proceedings are conducted in an open and public trial.”
As of this writing, THEPHILBIZNEWS hasn’t received further clarification on Ombudsman Martires’ inclusion of Sr. Patricia Fox on his statement when we asked for his opinion on the “guilty” verdict of International People’s Tribunal against President Duterte.
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