MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government will comply with Interpol should it issue a red notice for former president Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said on Wednesday, November 13.
During the House of Representatives probe into Duterte’s war on drugs, the former president proudly proclaimed that he wanted to be subjected to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has been probing human rights abuses during Duterte’s drug war.
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“If the former President desires to surrender himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC, the government will neither object to it nor move to block the fulfillment of his desire,” Bersamin said in a statement to reporters.
While the Marcos administration has been adamant that it would not comply with the ICC’s investigation, there has been no concrete effort to actively stop the probe either.
“If the ICC refers the process to the Interpol, which may then transmit a red notice to the Philippine authorities, the government will feel obliged to consider the red notice as a request to be honored, in which case the domestic law enforcement agencies shall be bound to accord full cooperation to the Interpol pursuant to established protocols,” Bersamin said.
The Philippines is no longer a part of the ICC after Duterte ordered its exit in 2018, which took effect the following year. However, the ICC said that it still has jurisdiction over any alleged crime in the country while the Philippines was still a member.
Since the beginning of his term, Marcos has been consistent that he would not hand over Duterte to the ICC.
However, Marcos’ relationship with Duterte and his family has deteriorated over time. Duterte and his family have openly criticized Marcos, with the former president accusing his successor of being a drug addict.
Vice President Sara Duterte, Rodrigo’s daughter, has broken away from Marcos’ Cabinet. She has also repeatedly picked fights with lawmakers, especially in the House of Representatives.
A House panel has been dedicated to sniff out wrongdoings in Duterte’s drug war. During the House’s investigation, it was revealed that Duterte ordered a rewards system for the police who killed drug suspects.
In a separate statement, the Department of Justice has said that while the Philippines has left the ICC, it is still a member of Interpol.
“When requests are made by the ICC through Interpol and Interpol, in turn, relays such request to our country, the Philippine government may have to give such request due course,” DOJ spokesperson Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said in a statement. — with reports from Ian Laqui