MANILA — The United States has announced an intensified effort to counter the International Criminal Court (ICC), including stronger sanctions against court-linked officials and diplomatic pressure on countries that continue to support the tribunal.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a video address and a Wall Street Journal opinion piece released Monday, accused the ICC of threatening American sovereignty and undermining US military and law enforcement operations.
Rubio said Washington would monitor which countries join the United States in opposing what he described as an overreach by the court.
The State Department said nations protected under the US security umbrella should reject the ICC’s authority to prosecute American officials and servicemen.
“No diplomatic option will be off-limits in the campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC to Americans,” the department said.
Washington’s criticism stems partly from the ICC’s investigation into alleged abuses committed by US forces in Afghanistan, an inquiry that US officials say should have been closed.
The ICC, established by the Rome Statute, currently has 125 member states. The United States, China, Russia and Israel are not among them.
The court has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes. Earlier this year, the Trump administration imposed asset freezes and travel restrictions on several ICC officials in response to the warrant against Netanyahu.
Japan, which contributes the largest share of the ICC’s funding, said it was watching the US initiative with concern. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara reaffirmed Tokyo’s support for the court and for international efforts to prosecute serious crimes.
Malacañang, meanwhile, said the Philippines respects the US position. Palace press officer Claire Castro said the government would continue to act in accordance with Philippine law.
The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019 under former President Rodrigo Duterte, but the ICC maintained jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member.
Duterte was arrested in March 2025 through an ICC warrant enforced by Interpol and remains in detention in The Hague. The tribunal has also issued an arrest warrant for Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief.
Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s former legal counsel, praised the US move and argued that the ICC had improperly interfered in Philippine affairs.
The latest US initiative signals a significant escalation in Washington’s long-running opposition to the ICC and could deepen divisions among countries that continue to support the court.
elamigo/xf
