Life is a Rhetorical Question. For ABC5 One News Ph The Big Story: On Obstruction of Justice: Is “Crimes against Humanity” “an offense under existing penal laws”?

Answer: Life is a rhetorical question.

For ABC5 One News Ph The Big Story: On Obstruction of Justice: Is “Crimes against Humanity” “an offense under existing penal laws” ?

For those who obstructed the arrest of Senator Bato for “Crimes against Humanity” subject of an ICC arrest warrant,

to be prosecutable for Obstruction of Justice under PD 1829, the resource person said:

it may be difficult under this provision (quoted below) since criminal statutes are construed strictly.

Yes, let’s go there po, strict construction,

here is the provision.

“Harboring or concealing, or facilitating the escape of, any person he knows, or has reasonable ground to believe or suspect, has committed any offense under existing penal laws in order to prevent his arrest, prosecution and conviction;xxx”

The operative terms for this answer is “has committed any offense under existing penal laws”, which the resource person said seemed to suggest that it references acts punishable as crimes in the Philippines, the arrest for which was obstructed, referencing “Crimes against Humanity”.

Hmmm 🤔.

Let me be cute 🥰 please, please — in answering this, i will be cute and answer it with a question …

Is “Crimes against Humanity” an offense punishable under existing penal laws …?

Here’s the cutest me impersonating a wise wizard of lore, Merlin:

… Crimes against humanity — do you not think — it is an offense — punishable under existing penal laws … ?