President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said the government was obligated to fulfill its commitments to the Interpol when it assisted in serving the warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity.
“Interpol asked for help and we obliged because we have commitments to Interpol which we have to fulfill,” he said in a late night press conference after the departure of the chartered private jet that took Duterte to the Hague, in the Netherlands.
“This is what the international community expects of us as the leader of a democratic country that is part of the community of nations,” the President added.
Duterte’s allies have called the arrest politically motivated, linking it to the 2028 presidential elections.
However, Mr. Marcos dismissed the claim, pointing out that the ICC case began in 2017 while Duterte was still in office.
“This case started in 2017 when we were still members of the ICC and during the time of former President Duterte. I don’t see how that can be political persecution on my part because it was initiated before I even came into the picture,” he said.
When asked whether the arrest violated the country’s sovereignty, Marcos dismissed the claim, stating that the government had not cooperated with the ICC’s probe.
“We didn’t help them in any way. We have contact with them naturally, but not on an official level,” he said.
The chief executive also emphasized the role of Interpol in assisting the Philippines with other international law enforcement matters, including human trafficking and fugitive arrests.
“Interpol helps us, and when they ask for our help, we should do the same,” he added.