‘ICC won’t get Duterte alive’

MANILA – Former palace spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. voiced concern about news regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant for former president Rodrigo Duterte. Nevertheless, he suggested that apprehending the former leader, who has adamantly pledged to resist all arrest attempts, would pose a formidable challenge for the international court.

“Based on intel, the former president informed me that he could be apprehended anytime. Unfazed, he vowed that the ICC would never get him alive,” Roque said in the statement on Wednesday.

“Since he is already 80 years old, Tatay Digong would fight all attempts to have him detained and prosecuted in The Hague for alleged crimes committed in Philippine territory. He would only submit himself to the jurisdiction of our domestic courts,” he added.

Roque discussed Duterte’s anticipated arrest during his “Spox Hour” program, which was live-streamed on his Facebook page on Sunday.

“I couldn’t sleep because [Duterte] called me up because he received information that he would be arrested any time,” he said in Filipino.

He argued that the ICC no longer holds jurisdiction over human rights violations purportedly carried out during Duterte’s drug war due to its failure to conduct a preliminary investigation prior to the Philippine withdrawal from the Rome Statute taking effect.

“Moreover, the cooperation duties of the withdrawing state are limited to the investigations and proceedings that commenced before the effectivity of the withdrawal, according to two ICC Appeals Chamber judges. Therefore, the Marcos administration has no obligation to cooperate with any ICC-related proceeding,” Roque added.

Roque reiterated his call to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to issue a memorandum instructing all executive branch agencies to refrain from cooperating with the ICC, citing it as a violation of the nation’s sovereignty.

In July, the ICC Appeals Chamber affirmed the authorization to proceed with an investigation into Duterte’s war on drugs.

Simultaneously, Marcos and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla stated that the government would not collaborate with the international tribunal.

Last month, Marcos Jr. firmly declared that the Philippines would not assist the ICC in its investigation.

Marcos issued a statement to clarify his stance, asserting, “I do not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines. I consider it a threat to our sovereignty. The Philippine government will not cooperate with any investigation conducted by the ICC,” amidst reports of ICC representatives entering the country.