Malacanang said yesterday that the government has not discussed any plan to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid unverified reports that the tribunal would seek Manila’s assistance in freezing Duterte’s assets.
“As we speak, we have not yet discussed any plan of rejoining the ICC,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing.
“The last time we spoke with the President, we asked him about it personally, and he just smiled and told me to say that there have been no discussions on the matter,” she added.
It can be recalled that the Marcos administration only agreed to work with the ICC if its requests for assistance were coursed through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), such as what transpired prior to the former president’s arrest earlier this month.
Castro also double-downed on the government’s stance that Duterte’s arrest was valid and legal, citing that the former president was informed in advance of the ICC’s arrest warrant.
She said that Benito Ranque, the co-convenor of “Bring PRRD Home,” said Duterte knew of the arrest and was advised to stay in Hong Kong under China’s protection but the former president rejected the plan and chose to return to the country to face the charges.
“So, what this means is that the claim of a warrantless arrest of former President Duterte is false and without basis. What this means is that he knows… that there is a warrant of arrest and he is ready to face his case,” Castro said.
“So, how can we say now that there is kidnapping and extraordinary rendition? This is according to their ally, Benito Ranque, himself. So, in our view, the administration has not violated any laws, and that is also the perspective we see from the ICC,” she added.
Meanwhile, Castro clarified that the administration is not legally bound to accommodate an anticipated ICC request to freeze Duterte’s assets.
“There is no commitment on our part, on the part of the administration, if we will comply with any order issued by the ICC considering that the ICC, as of the moment, has no jurisdiction over the Philippines,” she explained.
In a separate statement, the Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Matthew David said that if a request arises, it would be assessed in coordination with other government offices to determine the appropriate response.
He also reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling its mandate under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and its implementing rules and regulations.
“We assure the public that the AMLC will continue to discharge its duties in accordance with the law and established procedures,” David said in a statement.
However, David said AMLC has yet to receive an official request from the ICC or any relevant government agency regarding the freezing of Duterte’s assets.
“As we have yet to receive an official request from the ICC or from the relevant government agency responsible for addressing the matter, it would be premature to comment further,” David said.
Duterte is currently under the custody of ICC in The Hague as he faces charges of crimes against humanity over his controversial anti-drug campaign during his administration.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Palace: Rejoining ICC still out of the question.”