Palace: Up to Rody to submit self, arrest likely thru Interpol

Former President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday challenged the International Criminal Court to immediately begin its investigation into his alleged crimes against humanity over the thousands killed during his administration’s deadly war on drugs.

“Come here and start the investigation tomorrow,” Duterte said as he faced the House Quad Committee investigating the extrajudicial killings during his administration.

“I’m asking the ICC to hurry up. This issue has been left hanging for so many years. I might die first and they won’t be able to investigate me,” he said.

Official records put the fatalities during Duterte’s war on drugs at 6,000, but ICC prosecutors estimate the death toll at between 12,000 and 30,000.

Malacañang said it is up to Duterte should he desire to submit himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, however, admitted the Philippines will likely implement an arrest order against the former president if the ICC courses it through Interpol.

“If the ICC refers the process to the Interpol, which may then transmit a red notice to the Philippine authorities, the government will feel obliged to consider the red notice as a request to be honored, in which case the domestic law enforcement agencies shall be bound to accord full cooperation to the Interpol pursuant to established protocols,” Bersamin said.

“If the former President desires to surrender himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC, the government will neither object to it nor move to block the fulfillment of his desire,” the Palace official added.

The Department of Justice explained that despite the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the ICC, it remains a member-state of Interpol.

The DOJ said it remains committed to uphold sovereign obligations with other countries with respect to adherence to the principles of international comity.

Duterte told lawmakers he is ready to accept any verdict if he is found guilty.

“If I am found guilty, I will go to prison and rot there for all time,” he said.

Duterte earlier admitted to instructing police to provoke criminals into resisting arrest, effectively endorsing a “shoot-to-kill” approach.

When asked about statements he made in 2016 encouraging criminals to fight back, Duterte told the Quad Comm: “That could be justified if they (suspects) fought back.”

“As for the manufacturers, I really ordered to kill them – as long as you catch them in the factory that cooks shabu…That was my order, and I assume full responsibility,” he added.

Vice President Sara Duterte joined her father at the House of Representatives yesterday, but derided the Quad Comm hearing as “clear political persecution.”

“Of course, I do not expect fairness,” she said, adding that she respects her father’s “personal decision” to face lawmakers investigating the drug war-related EJKs.

“The ICC has been pursuing him over the alleged EJKs during his administration. Why? Well, one would think perhaps if you are being pursued, there is something they want you to lose,” the Vice President said.

“Do I worry about the former president? I don’t think he will go here is he thinks he is weak, health-wise. So, he will be okay,” she added.

The former president on Wednesday confirmed a reward system existed for police officers involved in his bloody war on drugs.

“Reward? Correct. Very correct. That is absolutely true. Sometimes I would even give additional incentives,” the Duterte patriarch said.

Retired police Col. Royina Garma earlier told the Quad Comm that Duterte and other high-ranking officials during his term operationalized the so-called “Davao model” of EJKs on a nationwide scale, rewarding cops for every drug suspect killed with incentives ranging from P20,000 to P1 million.

She revealed Duterte instructed former National Police Commission head Edilberto Leonardo to implement the drug war model nationwide.

Leonardo corroborated Garma’s statements, while Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido—widely regarded as the Duterte administration’s “poster boy” for the war on drugs—said the cash incentives came from jueteng, POGOs, intelligence funds, and the PCSO’s own small-town lottery.

Espenido said the money allegedly “flowed from the level of Bong Go,” referring to Duterte’s long-time aide, now Senator Christopher Go.

“If there is an operation which is not funded by the police, you have to provide…I sometimes gave extra as a reward,” Duterte said, adding the extra funds could amount to P20,000 for certain operations.

Pressed on the use of confidential funds to bankroll the war on drugs, Duterte said: “That’s why the intelligence fund called it confidential. So please don’t ask what confidential things did I do.”

Duterte, however, clarified he did not personally verify each target of the drug war, leaving that responsibility to the police.

“The vetting responsibility was never mine. Do you expect me, as mayor or president, to personally verify each entry on the list?” he said.

He likewise denied a statement he made in 2016 that he threw an alleged kidnapper from a helicopter as a threat to corrupt public officials.

Duterte said his statement – widely reported by global media outlets – was mere “hyperbole.”

“That’s just hyperbole sir. The pilot won’t agree,” Duterte said.

What he admitted, though, was personally killing six or seven people he described as “criminals” during his time as Davao City mayor.

Under questioning from Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, Duterte was asked if he had ever personally killed anyone.

“Me? Many. Between 6 to 7. I wasn’t able to follow up if they succumbed at the hospital,” Duterte said under oath. “I have no patience for criminals.”

For his part, Senate President Francis Escudero appeared baffled by Duterte’s call for the ICC to expedite its investigation into the EJKs committed during his administration.

“The Philippines is not part of the ICC anymore because of him, and now he demands the ICC to hurry?” Escudero said.

“If President (Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.) decides to return to the ICC, our only role would be to ratify that return. However, as regards the authority to rejoin, even if some senators are in favor, we cannot do that without appropriate action from the President,” Escudero added.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III and Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros earlier urged Mr. Marcos to allow the Philippines to rejoin the ICC.

Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Duterte dares ICC to ‘hurry up’ and investigate him.”