Malacañang on Monday said the government is prepared to coordinate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) if new arrest warrants are issued in relation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into killings linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said authorities would extend the same level of cooperation previously provided, stressing that any action would follow existing Philippine laws and due process. She emphasized that the government does not interfere with legal procedures initiated by the ICC and ensures that all actions pass through proper channels.
The ICC Office of the Prosecutor earlier identified several sitting and former officials as alleged co-perpetrators in crimes against humanity tied to the campaign. In a Feb. 13 filing, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang named eight officials who were allegedly involved alongside former president Rodrigo Duterte in what prosecutors described as a “common plan” that resulted in violent acts, including murder.
Among those mentioned were Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, along with former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, former police official Vicente Danao, former Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde, the late police general Camilo Cascolan, former National Bureau of Investigation director Dante Gierran and former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Isidro Lapeña.
Castro said coordination with Interpol has precedent but reiterated that domestic laws would still govern enforcement. She added that authorities are obligated to act once warrants are issued while urging the public to remain calm and allow judicial proceedings to run their course. The list of alleged co-perpetrators was released ahead of Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing at the ICC in The Hague, where he faces three counts of crimes against humanity.
