Palace: Duterte camp responsible for ICC case

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified why former President Rodrigo Duterte's case bypassed the Philippine justice system and was instead forwarded directly to the International Criminal Court (ICC) through Interpol.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, Castro explained that if there are concerns regarding the absence of criminal charges filed in the Philippines against Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity, the Duterte administration should be questioned.

“November 2021, humiling ang gobyerno, ang administrasyon mismo ni dating pangulong Duterte, at ito nama’y naka-record, na ipahinto muna ang pag-iimbestiga ng ICC prosecutor dahil magsasagawa sila ng pag-iimbestiga, magsasampa ng kaso na dapat isampa (In November 2021, former President Duterte himself requested the ICC prosecutor to temporarily halt the investigation, citing their intention to conduct their own inquiry and file the necessary charges),” Castro said.

However, Castro noted that by June 2022 — before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office — the ICC prosecutor declared that the Duterte administration had failed to fulfill its commitment to investigate and pursue appropriate charges. As a result, the ICC prosecutor resumed the investigation.

Castro stressed that the Duterte administration should have initiated the investigation for the Marcos administration to continue it, emphasizing that the Marcos administration should not be blamed for why Duterte's case did not go through the Philippine justice system.

“Huwag nating ipahid ang kasalanang ito sa administrayon ni Pangulong Marcos (Let’s not pin this blame on President Marcos’ administration), ” she added.