MANILA: The Philip­pines said on Wednesday it is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to what President Rodrigo Duterte called “outrageous” attacks by UN officials and violations of due process by the ICC.

The decision marks a stunning about-face by Duterte, who has repeatedly dared the ICC to indict him and said he was willing to “rot in jail” or go on trial to defend a war on drugs that has killed thousands of his own people.

The mercurial former mayor had initially welcomed last month’s announcement by the ICC of its preliminary examination into a complaint filed by a Philippine lawyer accusing Duterte and top officials of crimes against humanity.

But in a 15-page statement, dated March 13, Duterte said he was withdrawing from the ICC’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, because of “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” by UN officials, and ICC actions that he said failed to follow due process and presumption of innocence.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2018