MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. remains firm with his stand of not returning to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malacañang said.
According to Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the government will not submit to ICC the sworn statements made before the House of Representatives’ probe on the supposed drug-related extrajudicial killings under the administration of then president Rodrigo Duterte.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers and ICC-accredited assistant to counsel Kristina Conti had urged President Marcos to submit the quadcom investigation materials to the ICC for inclusion in the case build-up.
“The Philippines will not return to ICC,” Bersamin said. “Based on this, the President is not expected to change his mind and not refer the quadcom matter to the ICC.”
Retired police officer Royina Garma and self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa testified before the House quad committee last week that so-called extrajudicial killings had the sanctions of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Former President Duterte is being investigated by ICC for the “war on drugs” during his administration.
Meanwhile, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the quadcom may consider handing its records to executive department offices for investigation and prosecution, like the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation or the Ombudsman.
“It would even be better if all pieces of evidence gathered from the congressional committee hearings are turned over to our own executive agencies for appropriate investigation and prosecution,” Guevarra said in a statement./PN
