Bongbong, DOJ huddle over ICC

An official of the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday said they are preparing a briefer on the legal options available to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding any arrest warrants that may be issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This was according to Justice Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Mico Clavano who said, "The briefer will be an objective analysis of the pros and cons of each option."

He said the briefer is being done "with an awareness that policy frameworks may evolve."

Clavano made the statement when he was asked to comment on the possibility of the ICC issuing an arrest warrant soon regarding the Duterte administration's war against illegal drugs, as claimed by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Trillanes conjures up intrigue

Trillanes had said the ICC may push for an arrest warrant through the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).

"This will come in batches. The first batch is for Rodrigo Duterte, the father. The second batch may be against Bong Go, Bato, and Vice President Sara Duterte. The third batch would be some PNP officials and some other senior officials of the Duterte administration," Trillanes claimed.

Earlier, President Marcos said his government would not serve any arrest warrant from the ICC against former President Duterte. "We don't recognize the warrant that they will send to us...that's a no," Marcos said in April.

Marcos also said that he does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines, adding that he considers it a threat to the country's sovereignty.

"We are well within international law when we take the position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines," Marcos added.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra have maintained that the government has no legal duty to cooperate with the ICC since the country is no longer a member of it.

The Philippines, under Duterte, withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2019 after the tribunal began a probe into his administration's drug war.