Senator Francis Escudero on Wednesday clarified that the case filed at the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte was initiated by Filipino citizens, not foreign nationals.
“I don’t see any takeover of jurisdiction from the courts in the Philippines regarding this issue,” he said.
“And according to the law in force in our country, which was also cited during the hearing, any accused person whether Filipino or foreigner, can be brought to the International Court concerning Crimes Against Humanity committed by individuals,” the senate chief added.
Escudero pointed out that no foreign entities interfered in the decision to take the case to the ICC.
He emphasized that Filipinos also made the decision to pursue the case, citing Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla’s statements to support this point.
Since there were no pending cases against Duterte within the Philippine legal system, according to Escudero, this contradicts the argument that the Philippines transferred judicial authority to foreign courts.
He compared Duterte’s situation to that of former Negros Oriental Rep. Arnulfo Teves Jr., who faces pending charges in the Philippines.
Escudero explained that, unlike Duterte, Teves has an active case in the country, making extradition a necessary step.
He reiterated that both cases demonstrate the complexities of international law and extradition processes, particularly when legal proceedings differ between countries.