President Rodrigo Roa Duterte knows the personalities he’s
dealing with as regards the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a press briefing in Davao, the President claimed he had
prior knowledge of the ICC initiative as early as last week, based on a
transcript of a phone conversation between Filipino-American businesswoman
Loida Nicolas Lewis and an unnamed individual.
This is not the first instance that the President has
accused the US-based philanthropist of funding destabilization efforts against
his administration. *
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| US Philanthropist Loida Nicolas Lewis and Vice President Leni Robredo (photo credit to owner) |
“We waited for it last Tuesday, but there was nothing.
I know everything, tell her that I know. It’s Loida. I have the complete
transcript,” Duterte said in Filipino.
Duterte reveals that he has foreign friends in high
places to thank for the release of the transcript of the supposed phone
conversation.
The ICC last Thursday announced that it will start the
preliminary investigation against the Philippine President for the
extrajudicial proceedings in the country in the conduct of the Philippine
National Police (PNP) war on illegal drugs. The case was filed last year by
Atty. Jude Sabio based from the Senate testimony of self-confessed former Davao
death squad member Edgar Matobato.
Also in a different occasion, opposition senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Magdalo party-list
Rep. Gary Alejano filed a supplemental complaint supporting Sabio’s accusations.
“I was already listening to the tapes of their conversation. It was
provided to me by another country but the conversation was in Philippines and
New York,” the President said at Friday’s press conference.
“Loida (Lewis) was one of them. And there was this, ‘See you in the
headquarters when the case is filed.’ Blah blah blah blah blah blah,” Duterte
added. “From the looks of it, it’s all politics,” he pointed out, referring to
the ICC initiative. *
Allies of the president questions the ICC interference noting that
jurisdiction will not attach since there is an existing justice system that is
working in the country. If the ICC will insists that it has jurisdiction it
will be considered as interference of a purely State matter.
Loida Lewis speaks up
between Filipino-American businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis has denied
that she conspired with the ICC to have Philippine Prersident Rodrigo Roa
Duterte investigated for alleged crimes against humanity.
"President Duterte is spreading fake news once again," the US-based Lewis said in a statement.
"Whatever transcript of telephone conversation he claims to be from me is bogus and made-up," she said.
Duterte has accused Lewis of plotting to oust him, based on the telephone transcript which the President claims he got from his foreign friends from high places.
"The murder of Filipinos based on suspicion of drug distribution, drug dealing and drug use is reprehensible and is against the laws of the Philippines and the Ten Commandment Of God," Lewis said.
In 2016, Lewis joined calls for President Duterte to step down, this
after keeping her silence on the accusations of the president that she is
plotting to oust the latter.
No, President Duterte, I have not plotted against you in terms of coup
d’etat, because I believe in the democratic process,” Nicolas-Lewis said. *
“I was impressed at his sincerity. Then I thought he was sincere, that,
what keeps people poor in the Philippines is drugs, corruption and injustice.
But now what do I see? He’s killing and killing and killing. I would say he is
a murderer in that sense,” she said
Report from ABS-CBN
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