MANILA, Philippines — No arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against individuals linked to the illegal drug campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday.
“As of this time, the PNP has not received any official communication, documentation or directive from any government agency regarding the alleged ICC warrants,” the agency’s chief, Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., said in a statement.
The PNP was reacting to Davao City Rep. Pulong Duterte's claim in a social media post on Wednesday night that a “highly reliable source” told him that the international tribunal issued a warrant to arrest Sen. Bong Go and two police officers. The lawmaker did not identify the two police officers but former PNP chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Vicente Danao have been named as alleged co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity case filed against Duterte.
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Facebook not to believe the Davao lawmaker. “Don’t believe Pulong. There is still no ICC warrant issued for anyone. If one does come out later on, he definitely won't know about it—just like his father didn't know there was already a warrant for him,” Trillanes said in Filipino.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Col. Allen Rae Co, PNP public information chief, said there has been no formal communication regarding the supposed ICC warrant.
“We rely on formal processes and verified information, not speculation or social media posts,” Nartatez said. “The PNP will perform its mandate in accordance with the Constitution, existing laws, and established procedures. We will neither preempt the process nor neglect our responsibilities,” he added.
Go, along with several others including fugitive Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, have been identified by the ICC as co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity case against the former president who is now detained at The Hague, Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Malacañang denied that it was using government agencies to suppress and silence political opponents just to cover up the bigger issue of stealing the public’s money.
“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 (PCO) 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 added. The Palace official 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.”
