The government's assistance to Interpol in executing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former president Rodrigo Duterte was not an act of betrayal, Malacañang said Friday.

In a television interview, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro defended the government’s move, stressing it was an adherence to Philippine law and fulfilling its commitment to the international community.

“Kung iisipin po natin, wala pong ginawang betrayal ang Pangulo kanino man po dahil po tinutupad lamang ang sarili nating batas (If we think about it, the President did not commit any betrayal to anyone because of enforcing our own laws),” Castro said. 

She then noted that cooperating with Interpol is a matter of legal enforcement, not political maneuvering.

“So mas mahirap po siguro magkaroon ng betrayal ang administrasyon sa sarili nating batas. So wala pong betrayal kung kanino man po kung ito man po nagpapatupad ng pag-cooperate sa Interpol (So it would probably be harder for the administration to betray our own laws. So there is no betrayal to anyone if it is enforcement of cooperation with Interpol),” she added.

In a previous interview, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa argued the Philippine government could have “rejected outright” the Interpol Notice.

In expressing his frustration about Duterte’s arrest, Dela Rosa lamented the government’s eagerness to immediately hand over the former president to the ICC without going through the local courts.

“That's a very flimsy alibi for me. That only goes to show talaga sila interesado na i-commit si dating President Duterte sa ICC (that they are really interested in committing former President Duterte to the ICC),” he said.

Dela Rosa recalled Marcos supposedly assured him he would never cooperate with the ICC, as the international tribunal could also pursue cases against his own family.

“‘Wag kang mag alala, hinding-hindi ako mag-cooperate sa ICC dahil after ninyo, who’s next? Baka kami na naman.’ Yan ang sabi niya sa akin (Don't worry, I will never cooperate with the ICC because after you, who's next? It might be us." That's what he told me),” he said.

Dela Rosa added, “It was still vivid to my memory when he told me—when we talked at the Malacañan na never siyang makipag-cooperate sa ICC. I’m feeling betrayed. Betrayal to the max!”

In response, Castro debunked Dela Rosa’s claim that the administration was eager to arrest Duterte.

“Yan lamang po siguro ang kanyang pananaw dahil siya nga rin ay nangangamba kung siya ay may warrant of arrest. Natural po na maramdaman niya yan (That is probably just his perspective because he is also concerned about having a warrant of arrest. It’s natural for him to feel that way),” she said.

Castro insisted the administration has no intention beyond fulfilling legal commitments with Interpol.

“Pero tayo lang po ay nagpapatupad. Noong dumating ang warrant of arrest sa pamamagitan ng Interpol, doon lamang natin pinatupad. So wala pong masasabing atat na atat po ang gobyerno na ipahuli ang dating pangulong Duterte (But we are just implementing the law. When the arrest warrant arrived through Interpol, that’s when we enforced it. So there is no truth to the claim that the government is eager to have former President Duterte arrested),” she added.

The Palace official also clarified that both Interpol and the Department of Justice possessed a hard copy of the arrest warrant against Duterte.