BBM: Phl won't stop Rody arrest through Interpol

The Philippines is not stopping a possible arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte by the Interpol if it is how his challenge to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to have him investigated would end up, President Marcos said yesterday.

-  ALEXIS ROMERO and CHRISTINE BOTON

Speaking to reporters in Tagaytay City, Marcos said it's up to Duterte to decide if he would allow the ICC to come and investigate him.

Affirming a statement from Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Marcos said that while the Duterte administration withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute, which created the ICC, the country is still bound by its commitments with the Interpol.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) also made it clear that the country's partnership with the Interpol is unaffected by the country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.

"Secretary (Jesus Crispin) Remulla has repeatedly said that despite the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute, the country remains a member country of the Interpol," the DOJ said in a statement.

"When requests are made by the ICC through the Interpol and Interpol, in turn, relays such requests to our country, the Philippine government is legally obliged to accord due course to the same, by all means," it added.

Remulla, meanwhile, said Duterte's pronouncements at the quad comm hearing on Wednesday were "very significant" and would surely influence the direction of ongoing investigations on drug warrelated summary executions during the previous administration.

Marcos reiterated to reporters that his administration's position on the ICC remains the same.

"We will not help. But if he agrees to talk or to be subjected to an investigation by the ICC, it is up to him. It is not for us to decide," Marcos said in Filipino.

"We do not cooperate with the ICC. That is the position of this government," Marcos said, but added: "As (Interior) Secretary (Jonvic) Remulla explained before, we have obligations to Interpol and we have to live up to those obligations."