Miriam sees better chances at ICC than at ICJ

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Wednesday said she will have better chances of snagging a seat at the International Criminal Court (ICC) compared to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). "Although my chances are modest, at least my chances are better with ICC than with the ICJ," Santiago said at a press conference at the Diamond Hotel. "I think I will have better chances because most of the developing countries are with us since we belong to that group, especially the smaller countries that have just become members," she added. In 2008, Santiago lost her bid for a seat at the ICJ. She was the only female candidate. On Wednesday, Santiago said she has better chances at the ICC because there is only one level of voting, unlike in the ICJ where voting is first conducted on the General Assembly level and then on the Security Council level. "During the ICJ campaign, I won in the first level... but I lost in the second level," Santiago said. “The security council is composed of 15 members, five of whom are the so-called great powers, each one has a veto over the proceedings." "That is no longer the case because with the ICC, there’s voting only on one level. So one state only has one vote unlike in the UN voting where a state may have two votes if it is a member of the Security Council," she explained. In the ICC race, there are two female candidates. Last August, the Senate approved a resolution concurring with the ratification of the Rome Statute, which provides for the establishment of the ICC, which is based in The Hague, The Netherlands. Santiago said 117 other state parties are signatories to the treaty. Under the treaty, the ICC can step in only when countries are unwilling or unable to dispense justice when it comes to the “most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression," according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. Santiago said that there are 18 judges on the ICC, six of whom are scheduled to be replaced this year. She said the diplomatic campaign will be conducted first in Hague and then in New York. “The campaign consists of visits to the ambassadors so that we can have one on one discussions of issues that concern their country and issues that concern the criminal court," she said. Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario, for his part, expressed confidence that Santiago would make a good ICC judge. “I believe that all of you will agree that a candidate for judge of the ICC must have the requisite educational background, professional experience and a keen understanding of the issues that pertain to the Court. Senator Santiago has been endowed with all of these," he said in a speech at the Diamond Hotel. If Santiago wins a seat at the ICC, she said she will have to move to Europe. “I’ll have to resign [as senator]. Isn’t that good news for my enemies? I would have to live in The Hague. I will look like a European and speak like a European and I will be as snooty as a European when I come back," she said in jest. Santiago’s term as a senator ends in 2016. - KBK, GMA News