Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he might follow Russia and withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing criticism from Western nations for a rash of killings unleashed by his war on drugs. Duterte described the ICC as "useless" and expressed frustration about the West's allegations of extrajudicial killings and its failure to understand his crackdown on narcotics. He also appeared to blame the United Nations for failing to prevent wars all over the world. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order removing Russia's signature from the founding treaty of the ICC on Wednesday, and Duterte said he might consider doing the same. Duterte, known for his frank statements, speculated that Russia's ICC move might be because of its air strikes in Syria.

Source: The Star November 17, 2016 10:16 UTC