SC resets debates on ICC withdrawal to August 28

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has reset the oral arguments on petitions challenging the executive department’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court to August 28 from August 14.

The SC Public Information Office, on its Twitter account, said that the parties are being informed on Monday morning.

ADVISORY: "Oral arguments (in "Pangilinan, et al. v. Cayetano, et al./PCICC, et al. v. ES, et al.") will be reset to August 28. Full resolution will come out after the en banc deliberations tomorrow. Parties are being informed." #ICCwithdrawal

— Supreme Court PIO (@SCPh_PIO) August 13, 2018

The oral arguments cover consolidated petitions from the minority senators and the Philippine Coalition for the International Criminal Court led by former Commission on Human Rights chair Loretta Rosales.

The announcement from the SC PIO did not detail whether the schedule change is due to the plea by senators to postpone the debates.

Inclement weather has prompted Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio to suspend work in Manila courts from noon on Monday.  

Sens. Francis Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, Bam Aquino, Leila De Lima, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV asked the SC in May to declare as invalid the country’s withdrawal of its ratification of the Rome Statute due to alleged lack of concurrence from the Senate.

Although Senate concurrence is needed in the ratification of treaties, the Palace has argued that withdrawing from them is within the president's prerogative.

De Lima sought a furlough to be allowed to personally argue on her colleagues’ petition, but the SC denied her plea.

The lawmakers then asked the SC to move the oral arguments to a later date as they need time to find a representative for the debate.

The SC PIO said that “a full resolution” will be issued by the high tribunal on Tuesday.

The Philippines announced last March that it would be withdrawing from the ICC. The announcement came a month after the international tribunal's prosecutor opened a preliminary examination — not an investigation — into the alleged crimes against humanity of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. 

The purpose of the examination, which the Palace initially welcomed, is for the ICC's prosecutor to determine whether the court has jurisdiction over a communication — not a complaint — filed by lawyer Jude Sabio.