Former President Rodrigo Duterte has challenged the International Criminal Court (ICC) — whose jurisdiction is not recognized by the Philippine government — to come and start immediately its long-delayed investigation into the brutal drug war during his administration “This issue has been left hanging for so many years. I might die before they can investigate me,” Duterte said at the 11th hearing of the House quad committee probing the alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) during his anti-drug campaign.

“[That’s] why I am asking the ICC, through you, to go here [and] start the investigation. If I am found guilty, I will go to prison and rot there for all time,” Duterte said.

The former president stressed he was “not scared” — even a bit — of The Hague-based court.

Despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in March 2019 on his orders, “they can come here anytime. You know, we’re not hiding. I’m telling you what I did. I did it for my country and the young people. No excuses, no apology. I go to hell? So be it,” Duterte asserted.

“Give me money, I will go to the ICC, I will investigate myself there,” he added.

Although the Philippines officially withdrew from the Rome Statute after Duterte questioned the ICC’s authority to place him under its jurisdiction, the House lawmakers insisted the international tribunal still retained jurisdiction over any potential crimes against humanity committed during Duterte’s war on drugs.

The Philippines’ withdrawal became official in 2019, while Duterte’s term was from 2016 to 2022, so the Philippines was still a member in the first part of his term.

The ICC was established in 2002 to hold those perpetrators of the gravest crimes, including crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression criminally liable.

The Duterte administration’s bloody drug war drew the attention of the ICC, prompting an investigation in 2016 — the same year the rampant, systematic killings were launched.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has taken the position of Duterte that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines. Marcos deemed it a “threat to our sovereignty.”

Duterte reiterated before the Quadcomm that he “take[s] full responsibility” for the killings after he ordered the police to kill criminals and drug users and pushers regardless of whether it was “illegal or legal.”

“I assume full responsibility for whatever happened in the actions taken by the law enforcement agencies of this country to stop the drugs,” Duterte said. “Defend yourself or you die. This applied also to policemen.”

Duterte also admitted that he encouraged the police to provoke drug suspects into fighting back so they could be killed.

Human rights lawyer Maria Kristina Conti, who represents the ICC in the country, informed the quad committee that they have filed charges against Duterte for heinous crimes, including murder, illegal arrest and detention, torture, harassment and violations of due process.

Duterte sought funds for reward system

The President admitted requesting substantial funds during his tenure to support the reward system for his anti-drug campaign, which provided financial incentives for both civilian informants and police. He confirmed this in a House committee hearing investigating alleged extrajudicial killings in his drug war.

In the hearing, a video was presented in which Senator Grace Poe asked then-Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, now-Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, about the reward system. The rewards ranged from P20,000 to P5 million, depending on the significance of the information.

Duterte explained that police operations, including intelligence work, required funding, as they had limited resources outside of their salaries and equipment. He noted that the PNP needed additional money for operations, something not covered by their regular budget.

Duterte had requested P2.5 billion in confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) in 2016, five times higher than the P500 million allocated by his predecessor, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, in 2015.

This amount continued to increase throughout his presidency, reaching P4.5 billion in 2022, shared with his successor, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Duterte refused to disclose detailed spending, citing the confidential nature of the funds. “I am protecting the interest of the republic,” he said, emphasizing that he was legally prohibited from revealing specifics.

The committee is investigating whether some of these funds were used to finance rewards for police killings of drug suspects, as alleged by retired police colonel Royina Garma, who claimed that rewards ranged from P20,000 to P1 million based on the target’s importance.

Despite these allegations, Duterte denied that the rewards were intended to encourage police to kill drug suspects, calling such actions “forbidden” and a violation of moral and legal principles. He insisted that his war on drugs had been successful in reducing drug trafficking in the country.

Duterte also stated he would accept accountability if proven guilty, even suggesting that he would willingly go to jail if a case could be substantiated. He dismissed fears of accountability, challenging the International Criminal Court to proceed with its investigation into his administration’s actions.

The ongoing investigation continues to scrutinize the financial and operational aspects of Duterte’s controversial anti-drug campaign.