Deployment ban may affect Miriam's ICC bid — migrants group

The Philippines’ plan to ban the deployment of workers to countries that will fail to provide legal and social protection to Filipinos may affect the country’s bid for a seat in International Criminal Court (ICC). According to migrant workers group Ople Center, the Philippines should expect countries that will be included on the watch-list to vote against Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the country’s candidate as judge in the ICC. "Votes on such critical positions are always the subject of bilateral consultations and trade-offs or exchanges of certain favors," said center president Susan Ople on Wednesday. The ICC, active since 2002, is an international tribunal that prosecutes gross human rights violations. Any state leader, member of national legislature, or government official at a similarly high level could be investigated and prosecuted by the ICC if he/she commits core crimes under the tribunal’s jurisdiction. Ople said the country must expect for any diplomatic, political and even economic backlash that may arise following the ban. She said she hopes the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), which would implement the labor policy, “have a clear strategic and tactical plan on how and when to issue the list of compliant countries" so as not to jeopardize the country’s bilateral relations with long-standing allies. Section 3 of Republic Act No. 10022 directs the Philippine government to approve foreign job contracts of Filipinos, particularly those seeking work as domestic helpers, only for countries with existing labor and social laws protecting the rights of workers. “While we appreciate the noble intentions of this particular provision, both the DFA and POEA as well as our people must brace themselves for any diplomatic or political and even economic consequences that may arise because of it," Ople said. The DFA said Santiago was nominated “for her expertise in international humanitarian law, experience in criminal law and known advocacy for the Rome Statute of the ICC." The 2011 ICC Elections will be held from December 12 to 21 at the 10th session of the Assembly of States Parties in New York. — KBK, GMA News