Marcos maintains ICC stance as Justice dep’t studies other options
PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has not changed his stance on an international probe of his predecessor’s deadly war on drugs, his office said on Thursday, even as his Justice department studies possible scenarios related to the investigation.
Mr. Marcos’ position “remains clear and consistent,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil told Palace reporters.
On Wednesday, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said it is preparing a briefer on scenarios related to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe, including a potential arrest warrant for former president, Rodrigo R. Duterte, and a possible re-entry of the Philippines into the ICC.
It’s the Justice department’s “duty to explore all legal avenues and ensure that the President is fully informed of his opinion,” Ms. Velicaria-Garafil said. “It’s a standard procedure, not a change in position, ensuring that our administration remains prepared for any scenario.”
The ICC has been investigating Mr. Duterte’s deadly drug war, which is also being linked to his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, who served as local chief from 2010 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022.
The government estimates that at least 6,117 people were killed in Mr. Duterte’s drug war between July 1, 2016 and May 31, 2022, but human rights groups say the death toll could be as high as 30,000.
The ICC probe covers crimes committed in Davao City from November 2011 to June 2016 when he was still its mayor, as well as cases during his presidency up until March 16, 2019, the day before the Philippines withdrew from the ICC.
Mr. Marcos had said the Philippines under his leadership will not cooperate with the international court.
Mr. Marcos, who ran in tandem with Mr. Duterte’s daughter in the 2022 polls, said in March last year the Philippines was “disengaging” with the ICC after its rejection of the country’s appeal to suspend its drug war probe.
Among the key persons implicated in the case is former police chief Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa, who has been serving as Philippine senator since 2019.
A Social Weather Stations survey conducted on Dec. 8 to 11 last year showed 53% of Filipinos agreed with the ICC probe of the drug war, up from 45% in March 2023.
Former senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV on Tuesday said the ICC is expected to issue an arrest warrant against Mr. Duterte and his cohorts by June or July this year, adding that the arrest warrant may be implemented through a Red Notice issuance by the International Police.
Mr. Duterte and his allies on Tuesday held a political rally in the central Philippine city of Dumaguete, with calls for Mr. Marcos’ resignation. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
