Malacañang on Thursday maintained that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. would distance himself from the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) pre-trial proceedings against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Speaking to reporters, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Philippine government respects the ICC’s decision to grant Duterte’s request to waive his right to attend the hearing scheduled for Friday.
“Ang Pangulo po kasi at ang administrasyon na ito ay hindi po makikialam sa nasabing hearing. Kung ang nais po ng dating Pangulong Duterte ay hindi magpakita sa taumbayan, kaniya pong desisyon iyan (The President and this administration will not interfere in the said hearing. If the former president wishes not to appear before the public, that is his decision),” Castro said.
“At kung ito naman po ay naresolba ng ICC na payagan siya na huwag magpakita at hindi maging present sa kaniyang sariling hearing, igagalang po natin iyan (And if the ICC has resolved to permit him not to be present in his own hearing, we will respect that).”
Castro also denied claims about the Marcos administration’s alleged secret cooperation with the ICC, following former Marines’ claims about cash deliveries to personnel of the international court.
She maintained that the allegations against Marcos are baseless and untrue.
“Malamang, kung anuman ang motibo nila, malamang na maaaring i-discredit at tanggalan ng kredibilidad at integridad ang ICC, but mas concerned po tayo sa mga kasinungalingan na kanilang ibinabato sa ating Pangulo (Most likely, whatever their motive is, it is probably to discredit and strip the ICC of its credibility and integrity – but we are more concerned about the false accusations they are throwing at our President),” she said.
Castro also reiterated that there has been no discussion on the possibility of the Philippines rejoining the ICC.
Despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in March 2019, the chamber maintained that it still has jurisdiction over the alleged crimes committed in the country while it was still a state party to the Rome Statute from Nov. 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019. (PNA)