MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. clarified that the Philippine government will not help the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the issue of former president Rodrigo Duterte's bloody drug war.
In an interview with the media on Thursday, November 14, Marcos did not want to interfere in the issue involving the former president and the ICC.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/ Office of the President and House of Representatives of the Philippines |
“If yun ang gugustuhin ni PRRD eh hindi naman kami haharang dun sa mga ICC. Hindi lang kami tutulong,” Marcos told reporters.
“Kung pumapayag siya na makipag-usap siya or magpaimbestiga siya sa ICC, nasa kaniya yun. Wala na kaming desisyon don,” he added.
On Wednesday, November 13, at the House QuadComm probe on drug war killings during the previous administration, Duterte challenged the ICC to come to the Philippines and speed up the investigation against him.
“I am asking the ICC to hurry up and if possible, if they can come here and start the investigation tomorrow,” Duterte said.
Based on government records, more than 6,000 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration's anti-drug operations.
“This issue has been left hanging for so many years. Baka mamatay na ako hindi na nila ako maimbestigahan," the former president added.
In 2019 where Duterte was still sitting as president, the Philippines formally cut ties with the ICC.
— Carl Santiago, The Summit Express
