The Philippine government reaffirmed its commitment to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, signaling its readiness to assist in executing additional arrest warrants linked to the ICC’s investigation of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Claire Castro, Malacañang’s Press Officer, stated that the government had not received information indicating that more arrest warrants would be issued by the ICC. However, she confirmed that if such warrants did emerge, the Philippine administration would continue to cooperate with Interpol’s requests for assistance.
“As of now, we haven’t received any information about upcoming arrest warrants through Interpol. But if there are any, we will respond as required,” Castro told reporters.
She added that the situation could be different if the individuals named in the warrants voluntarily surrendered, which would likely make interventions like the one seen earlier unnecessary.
Castro emphasized that the transfer of Duterte to international authorities was carried out legally under Republic Act 9851, which pertains to crimes against international humanitarian law, genocide, and other crimes against humanity.
“Duterte was not extradited; he was surrendered,” Castro clarified during a press briefing. “It was a regular procedure based on the law, specifically RA 9851. I believe there should be no issues with that.”
This marks a rare occurrence, as this is the first time the Philippine government has facilitated such an action. Despite the unusual nature of the event, Castro affirmed that it was fully in line with legal processes.
In a statement late Tuesday night, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated that the Philippines was simply cooperating with Interpol, responding to the ICC’s orders for Duterte’s arrest. Duterte’s camp has strongly criticized the move, with Vice President Sara Duterte describing it as “state kidnapping.” Legal petitions have been filed to secure Duterte’s return to the Philippines.
Duterte was detained on Tuesday upon his arrival at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from Hong Kong and immediately transferred to The Hague, Netherlands. He is expected to face trial in connection with charges of crimes against humanity. Duterte briefly stopped in Dubai for a layover on Wednesday morning.
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