ADVANTAGE OF THE WITHDRAWAL

1.) Freedom from ICCs jurisdiction.

When the withdrawal comes into effect, it means that the ICC can no longer investigate the Philippines
on cases regarding international crimes which may be committed after the said withdrawal. This is what
Duterte wanted, to withdraw from ICC for it not to be interfered with his “war on drugs campaign.”

According to Carmen Pedrosa, a Filipino journalist, Duterte’s move to leave the ICC was necessary for
the strong government expected of him when he was elected in 2016. According to her, to allow the ICC
to investigate the Philippine government is tantamount to accepting guilt. Moreover, Atty. Salvador
Panelo said that if the president will allow the ICC’s investigation to the alleged extra-judicial killing, he
will not be able to pursue his program of peace and order because the ICC is used as a political
instrument to discredit his administration. It can be concluded therefore that it is only the Duterte
administration who’s benefited in the said withdrawal.

2.) Since the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC, it cannot be compelled to release some of its
sovereignty and to give more power to the international community.
Three first world powers: Not member of the ICC
Some countries refuse to be part of the ICC, these includes the three first world powers – United
States, Russia, and China. The following are the reason why they are not part of the ICC:
U.S.
The main tradition mentioned is the one where Americans belief that they know how to help others
better than the international community. That means, in his mind, that if they ever joined an
organization such as the ICC their identity would be threatened because the United States would
have to go by rules and laws alien to them.

China
China has concerns about the openness of the ICC to political influence since any prosecutor can
make the decision to start an investigation. They are also against the fact that the court has the
power to judge whether a state is able or willing to prosecute its own nationals. And last, China
believes that the court’s jurisdiction over what they can prosecute weakens the United Nations
Security Council.

Russia
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, explained that “the court did not live up to the hopes
associated with it and did not become truly independent,” and called it “one-sided and inefficient”
right after Putin announced the withdrawal.