MALACAÑANG said that rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC) is not among the priorities of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
”It is not yet the right time to rejoin the ICC,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in Filipino during a press briefing on Wednesday.
”What the president previously stated regarding rejoining the ICC remains our stance until now,” Castro added.
This comes after United States President Donald Trump said during his speech at the United Nations that all members of the International Criminal Court should resign, calling the court an “out-of-control institution” and “an evil group of people.” The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2018 upon the order of then-president Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte is currently detained at The Hague by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.
Castro noted that Philippine diplomats have been actively communicating the country’s political context to international partners, including the US.
She said prior briefings from Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez mentioned diplomatic discussions regarding the Philippines’ legal framework.
”We respect the call of the United States,” Castro added, acknowledging Washington’s position while maintaining that the Philippines independently determines its treaty commitments.
