The Philippine government is prepared for any eventuality following reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant against former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity.
In a Viber message to Malacañang reporters on Sunday, March 9, acting Presidential Communications Secretary Jay Ruiz said Malacañang has yet to verify the authenticity of the reports of the alleged arrest warrant against the former president.
“We’ve heard that an arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity,” Ruiz said. “The government is prepared for any eventuality.”
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Press Officer Claire Castro clarified that there has been no confirmation from Malacañang regarding the issuance of the warrant.
“There is no confirmation of the issuance of a warrant of arrest from the Palace,” Castro said. “But as what Executive Secretary [Lucas] Bersamin and Secretary of Justice [Jesus Crispin] Remulla said before, if Interpol will ask the necessary assistance from the government, it is obliged to follow.”
Duterte is currently in Hong Kong for a sortie of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) amid speculations online that he was fleeing the country supposedly in anticipation of an arrest order from the ICC.
Reports from Hong Kong-based English newspaper The Standard indicate that the former President departed the Philippines on March 7 and was spotted in Causeway Bay on March 8.
In the video, individuals were seen requesting to take photos with Duterte at Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s predeparture area, with some chanting “Duterte, Duterte,” reminiscent of the fervor during his 2016 presidential campaign.
The ICC has been investigating Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, which allegedly resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. The former president has repeatedly denied the accusations and maintained that the Philippines is no longer under the jurisdiction of the ICC after its withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019. (TCSP)
