Marcos urged to order DOJ to echo his stand vs. ICC

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. must tell the Department of Justice (DOJ) to echo his stand against the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into the previous administration's drug war, Senator Imee Marcos said Thursday.

"With the ICC, let's have the DOJ and all their employees, undersecretaries, and what have you, echo the president's message that there should be an end to this. This should be clear," Senator Marcos said in an ANC interview when asked about her message to her younger brother.

The senator said she deems the president and the DOJ's remarks on the matter "confusing." 

"I am confused by the stand of the administration. The president says 100 percent 'no.' The DOJ says, 'well, if they come, we'll entertain them' or 'they're just here... as observers.' Ano 'yon?" asked Senator Marcos.

"Parang turistang namasyal pero iniinterview and mga testigo? Nalalabuan ako e. Gusto ko talaga marinig kung ano e," she added.

The  DOJ, meanwhile, reiterated that its stance on the ICC has not changed.

In 2019, the Philippines, under then-President Rodrigo Duterte, withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, after the tribunal began a probe into the drug war, followed by a formal inquiry in September 2021. 

In November 2023 Marcos said that returning to the ICC’s fold is under study, he recently stated that  ICC is a threat to Philippine sovereignty. He also reiterated that he does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction over the country.

Duterte's tirades

Senator Marcos said she also believes that the developments with the ICC case were also a factor in former Duterte's tirades against her brother.

"I'm certain that the ICC is among them," Senator Marcos said when asked if the ICC issue triggered Duterte to behave that way.

"Certainly the inclusion of others, two senators, as a matter of fact... Both Senator Bato (Ronald dela Rosa), Senator Bong Go, as well as the vice president complicates the matter even further," she added.

Over the weekend, former Duterte warned his successor that he might suffer the same fate as his father, late former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. who was ousted from power in 1986, and accused the incumbent chief executive of being a drug addict. 

The senator further advised the President not to allow anybody to abuse his kindness, and noted that Malacañang "seems to have become once more a snake pit."

"Government can't go rogue and everyone is just saying different things. It is most confusing for us and most of all for foreign investment. Business does not like unpredictability, unreliability. Changes that come from nowhere," Senator Marcos said.

"I am afraid there are many around who are not as deeply invested in this administration as I am because I have my name on it. I have everything at stake with the Marcos administration and I only pray for its success. It is unfortunate that there are so many who put their ambitions and their deceptions ahead of this desire to make it successful," she added. –VAL, GMA Integrated News