Alvarez: Alejano case belongs in mental hospital, not ICC

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Tuesday that the International Criminal Court would be an extension of an asylum if it would give credence to a complaint a representative critical of the administration plans to file there.

Alvarez, who is no stranger to controversy because of his statements and his reported extramarital affair, told reporters at the House of Representatives that, since the Justice committee found the impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano against President Rodrigo Duterte “baseless,” the ICC should just ignore the case the opposition congressman plans to file at the Hague.

The speaker said that the ICC would look like an “extension of a mental hospital” if it would give accept Alejano’s charge against the president.

“Hindi kasi, para sa akin baseless eh. Baseless, so I don't know if ICC is extension na ng mental hospital. Puwede nilang dinggin iyon,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez also maintained that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over a communication that lawyer Jude Sabio filed at the ICC against him, Duterte and 10 other senior government officials. Alvarez mockingly said the information from Sabio should have been filed in a mental institution.

“No, because in the first place walang jurisdiction ang ICC doon. Dapat sa mental hospital finile iyon, merong jurisdiction ang mental hospital dun,” Alvarez said when asked if the House leader is worried about the case.

Incidentally, the House of Representatives has yet to pass a proposed Mental Health bill that will make access to mental health services available at government health centers. A counterpart bill that has already been approved by the Senate upholds the "freedom from social, economic, and political discrimination and stigmatization" of those in need of mental health care.

'Junking of Alejano complaint not proof of inability to probe president'

Alvarez also declared that the junking of the Alejano impeachment complaint was not evidence that local institutions were unable or unwilling to investigate the rising cases of deaths connected to the government’s drug war.

The speaker said that the House had rules to follow, adding that filing the complaint did not automatically mean that Alejano was correct and could just go to the ICC.

“Alam niyo, ah... hindi naman ibig sabihin na kapag finile niya e tama siya, di ba? E sinasabi nila na unwilling... alam mo meron tayong rules to follow. Ngayon kung hindi naman siya nagko-comply dun hindi ibig sabihin na siya yung nag file e tama na siya. E di kailangan i-observe din niya yung ano... proseso no? Sang-ayon sa ating rules at sang-ayon sa ating batas. Hindi ibig sabihin na pagka hindi  sila... ah… yung kanilang reklamo e hindi na-adress ay pwede na sila pumunta dun sa ICC,” he said.

Alvarez added: “Pagkatapos dun pag hindi pa din sila dininig e baka sa langit na yung kanilang appeal sa susunod, dun na sila magreklamo.”

On Monday, the House Justice committee trashed the complaint filed by Alejano. Although they found it sufficient in form, the 42 present members of the committee deemed it insufficient in substance primarily because Alejano did not have personal knowledge of the allegations in his charge.