MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. maintained that his government will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its investigation into the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
According to the Chief Executive, the government is firm on its stand regarding ICC but they will not stop former President Rodrigo Duterte if he will submit himself to their probe.
“We are not cooperating with the ICC. That is the position of this government,” Marcos said. “Ngunit kung pumapayag siya (Duterte) makipag-usap siya or magpaimbestiga siya sa ICC, nasa kanya iyon. Wala na kami desisyon doon.”
The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2019 after The Hague-based tribunal began a probe into the Duterte administration’s drug war.
During his appearance at the House of Representatives’ Quad Committee (QuadComm), former Rodrigo Duterte dared the ICC to conduct an immediate investigation on his war on drugs, blamed for the deaths of thousands of individuals.
However, President Marcos stated that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are already investigating the previous administration’s drug war.
“It is being done by the PNP and we are waiting for their findings. All of the testimony that was given (by former President Duterte during the House Quadcom hearing) will be taken in,” Marcos said.
“It will be assessed to see what is consequence of some of the statements made by former President Duterte that will result in a case being filed here. That is the responsibility of the Department of Justice,” he added.
President Marcos also maintained that his administration is committed to pursuing justice for the victims of extrajudicial killings during the implementation of the drug war.
“We are always monitoring all of these things, because the question of extrajudicial killings has not yet been answered. Who is responsible? We had some of the mothers of some of the victims over there [in QuadComm probe], and up to now, I have not seen justice for the murders of their children,” Marcos said.
“It is the DOJ’s responsibility to examine all of the testimonies and see if those justify [filing] a case,” the Chief Executive added./PN
