MALACAÑANG on Thursday hit back at Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte over his allegations that the administration is weaponizing the International Criminal Court (ICC) against its political foes.
Duterte’s accusation came after unconfirmed reports floated that the ICC has also issued arrest orders against Sen. Bong Go and two retired police generals still in connection with former president Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity case.
“First of all, we know that the ICC is a court, and there is a case before it. It is a case filed by our fellow Filipinos concerning the alleged abuses related to extrajudicial killings,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in Filipino in a video statement from Kazan, Russia.
“And if they do issue a valid warrant of arrest, it would still be valid, and they simply want those who are responsible to be held accountable. So, why do we always blame the court? Why do we blame the administration? Let us not forget that this case was filed in 2017. So, it is not being weaponized; it is to address the appeals and requests of our fellow citizens,” she said.
Castro pointed to an existing law which allows the Philippines to surrender accused citizens to an international tribunal — the Republic Act 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.”
In a social media post last Wednesday, Duterte criticized the present leadership for supposedly using government agencies to suppress and silence political opponents to cover up the bigger issue of stealing the public’s money.
Last month, the ICC issued a warrant against Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, naming him as a “co-perpetrator” in the former president’s war on drugs.
Dela Rosa has since been tagged as “wanted” after again going into hiding to evade arrest.
Castro said that if there are indeed warrants for Go and former police officials, the Palace will defer the matter to the Department of Justice.
