Ex-Pres. Duterte dares ICC to come to probe EJK in PH

Metro Manila, Philippines — Former President Rodrigo Duterte challenged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to visit the country and investigate supposed extrajudicial killings linked to his bloody war on drugs.

While it seemed that Duterte’s remarks were a turnaround from previous statements that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, it came at a time that the Marcos administration has maintained the policy against cooperating with the judicial body.

During the House quad committee hearing on extrajudicial killings on Wednesday, Nov. 13, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas asked Duterte if he is willing to cooperate with the ICC investigation.

“I’m asking the ICC to hurry up… This issue has been left hanging for so many years,” the former president replied.

“Matagal, baka mamatay na ako, hindi na nila ako ma-imbestiga,” he added. “If I am found guilty, I will go to prison and rot there for all time.”

[Translation: It’s too long. I may already be dead before they investigate me.]

When he was president, Duterte pulled out the country from the Rome Statute that created the ICC and vowed not to cooperate with any investigation on the drug war save for those filed in local courts.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department said the government is “legally obliged” should the ICC make a request through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) which puts up a Red Notice on Duterte, and forwards this to the Philippines,

“The Secretary [Jesus Crispin Remulla] has repeatedly said that despite the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute, the country remains a member country of the Interpol,” the agency said in a statement.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said “the government will neither object nor move to block the fulfilment” of Duterte’s desire to surrender himself to the ICC’s jurisdiction.

The ICC is scrutinizing the supposed crimes against humanity of the bloody drug campaign, which killed around 30,000 victims based on human rights records.

Duterte finally attended the quad panel’s 11th hearing.