Malacañang Palace has no comment on the recent developments on the cases former President Rodrigo Duterte is facing at The Hague. 

Duterte was charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC) pointing the former leader as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the alleged killings of individuals that were carried out during his time as mayor of Davao City and later on as President.

Malacañang maintained that the Philippine government has no role in the ICC’s investigation and whatever the decision of the court falls under their own jurisdiction.

“No reaction. The government– the Philippine government has nothing to do with the investigation, with the hearing or proceedings before the ICC,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Wednesday.

She also urged the public to let the people involved in the case such as prosecutors, witnesses and counsels to perform their duties.

In March, Duterte was arrested upon his arrival to Manila coming from Hong Kong by Philippine law enforcement agencies. The government insisted that it acted on the request of the Interpol and not the ICC as the country withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2018.

Meanwhile, Castro was also asked for the Palace’s position in case former President Duterte is granted interim release after an undisclosed country expressed openness to receive him.

“I guess her frequent travels have paid off,” Castro reacted, referring to Vice President Sara Duterte’s travels to The Netherlands and other countries in which she was reportedly wooing governments where her father can stay while the ICC case is ongoing.   

The Palace official said the government will accept whatever the decision of the ICC is.

“If that's good news for them and whatever the ICC's decision is, the government of Marcos Jr. will accept it,” she noted.