BERLIN, GERMANY — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday (Berlin time) reiterated that the Philippines refuses to recognize the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction in the country.

Marcos Jr. reiterated his stance on the ICC's jurisdiction in the Philippines as he met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier this week, where the latter asked about the ongoing situation regarding the war on drugs in the Philippines.

In an interview with the Philippine media delegation here, Marcos Jr. said he explained to Scholz about the rationale behind his decision and stance.

"He just basically asked the status of the investigation into the anti-illegal drugs war of the previous administration. I explained to him our concerns over jurisdiction that we have explained many times over the--- our concerns with the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines. And why we are not recognizing that jurisdiction and the reason behind that," Marcos Jr. said, adding that Scholz just wanted to be informed about the drug war.

However, the discussions went beyond mere explanations of jurisdictional matters. President Marcos emphasized that his administration has shifted the approach to the drug war significantly.

"We have actually completely changed the concept of the anti-drug campaign," he said.

Marcos Jr. also said that enforcement alone cannot effectively address the drug issue.

He highlighted the importance of prevention and rehabilitation efforts, signaling a departure from the previous administration's tactics.

"So, we are on a much different approach and he listened to my explanation. I think we’re satisfied with that," Marcos Jr. said.

During his trip to Washington last year, Marcos acknowledged the occurrence of abuses during the Duterte administration's aggressive crackdown on illegal drugs. He noted that the approach overly emphasized law enforcement.

It is worth noting that the President previously declared that the government would not engage with the ICC's investigation, citing the lack of recognition of its jurisdiction over the Philippines. The Philippines severed its relationship with the ICC in March 2019 under the directives of Duterte.