President Bongbong Marcos affirmed his previous position that the government will not hand former President Rodrigo Duterte over to the International Criminal Court.
The ICC is currently conducting a probe into the bloody war on drugs of Duterte that killed thousands of people.
“We don’t recognize the warrant that they will send to us,” said Marcos in a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents of the Philippines.
Asked if he will change his mind once the ICC issues a warrant of arrest against Duterte: “That’s a no.”
Marcos said that the Philippines does not recognize the ICC and there is still a functioning judicial system in the country.
“We are well within international law when we take the position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines,” Marcos said.
Duterte ordered the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute back in 2018 and it took effect in 2019.
The former chief executive is facing crimes against humanity charges from the ICC.
Marcos, shortly after winning the elections in 2022, said the Philippines will disengage from the ICC.
