Teddyboy: Pointless to stay with ICC

MANILA, Philippines — It is pointless for the country to stay with the International Criminal Court (ICC) since no major offensive power is currently a member, according to incoming Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr. 

On Twitter, Locsin, the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, said aggression is a crime that ICC might pick up but only if it is aggression by an ICC member.

“No serious offensive power today – US, China and Russia – is a member of ICC – so doubly pointless to stay. And ICC picks and chooses: those who ICC thinks are easy prey to prove its usefulness,” he wrote.

Aggression is one of the crimes that the ICC can prosecute, the others being genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

As ambassador to UN, Locsin was the one who delivered the letter informing the UN of the Philippine decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute that created the ICC.

“It is my duty to give you this. A sad day but a day sure to come because human rights has been politicized. We resisted US pressure not to join until we finally signed on, only to have it weaponized against our democracy fighting an existential threat from the drug trade,” he wrote at the time.

He earlier said President Duterte avoided a “rigged fight” with the country’s pullout from the international tribunal.

“The ICC has grown weaker and no longer has the authority to look into alleged rights abuses in the Philippines following the country’s pullout from the Rome Statute,” he wrote on Twitter.

“It makes the ICC weaker by yet another withdrawing member joining the ranks of Israel, the US, Russia and, well, China,” added Locsin.

A day after confirming that he has accepted the secretary post at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Locsin said he would end the practice of “Fitbit” diplomacy, a term he coined after the company that produces fitness trackers.

“UN staff do all the work before PH delegations arrive; planchado; yet my people are running around like they have to complete 10,000 steps even if all work is done just so PH delegates look like they assigned them something new to do. No more,” he said.

Locsin also responded to critics of the country’s reelection bid to the UN Human Rights Council.

“Rights groups want to limit state’s responsibility to protect the law abiding against the lawless to just protection of the lawless, like drug cartels. We’d like to oblige but we can’t. But we’re happy the drug trade has champions; everyone needs to have its side aired,” he wrote.

“If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck and effectively protects the drug trade, isn’t it part of the trade or on its payroll? We’re not talking about ethnic, religious or political minorities but those who made the now fatal criminal career choice of dealing drugs,” he added.

He also accused Iceland, a critic of the Duterte administration’s war against illegal drugs, of “pro-drug dealing intervention before the vote.”

“But I am happy drug dealers found a champion. Every side in an issue deserves to be heard,” he added.

Outgoing Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday claimed that Human Rights Watch, which urged countries not to vote for the Philippines, is pushing for the legalization of illegal drugs.

Senators aired their confidence yesterday that Locsin would not have any problem hurdling his confirmation hearing before the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Sen. Sonny Angara, both members of the CA, said the competence and track record of Locsin should work to his advantage during his confirmation hearing.

“This is one of the rare times that the best and the brightest rule in presidential appointments has been followed,” Recto said. 

The outspoken Locsin was a longtime journalist who served as publisher, press secretary, congressman and, most recently, Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Recto said that Locsin carries with him a rare combination of being able to “quote the classics but can curse like a stevedore.”

Angara said he expects Locsin to breeze through his confirmation hearing especially because of the fact that he was once a member of the House of Representatives.

He said that the appointment of Locsin to the DFA was a good one because his experience as a journalist and lawmaker would make him an asset to the foreign service.

Sen. Nancy Binay said Locsin was a good choice for the DFA, being a former congressman himself, representing Makati City, which is her home city.

Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting said yesterday that Locsin is “very much qualified” to head the DFA.

“He is a former congressman, so he knows the pulse of the people. He will be able to bring the concerns of our people to the world stage. His experience in the UN gives him a unique insight on how to deal with foreign governments. He is definitely qualified to be our top diplomat,” he said.

Locsin will replace outgoing Cayetano, who has opted to reclaim his congressional seat in Taguig, which he represented in previous Congresses.

Cayetano has said President Duterte wanted him to seek the position of Speaker.

He and Francis Escudero gained fame as opposition congressmen before they were elected to the Senate. Escudero, who is completing his second and last term, is running for governor in Sorsogon.

Senators have welcomed Locsin’s DFA appointment. Members of the CA have promised to speedily confirm him. – Jess Diaz