DOJ to abide by Marcos decision on ICC amid House QuadComm hearings

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will adhere to the decision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC) following testimonies on the Duterte administration’s war on drugs at the House Quad Committee (QuadComm) hearings, an official said Tuesday.

When asked for comment on calls to rejoin the ICC, Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said Marcos is the chief architect of the country’s foreign policy.

“As such, the Department will fully abide by and adhere to the President's foreign policy direction on this matter,” he said in a statement.

Last week, former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office general manager Royina Garma told the QuadComm how former President Rodrigo Duterte allegedly asked her to look for an officer who would implement the Davao model of the war on drugs on a national scale.

Garma, also a former police officer, said the Davao model referred to a “system involving payments and rewards.”

“The Davao Model involves three levels of payments or rewards. First is the reward if the suspect is killed. Second is the funding of planned operations (or COPLANS). Third is the refund of operational expenses,” Garma had said.

Following this, Marcos was asked to submit Garma’s testimony to the ICC.

But Malacañang said the Philippines would maintain its position and not return to the ICC.

''Based on this, the President is not expected to change his mind and now refer the QuadComm matter to the ICC,'' Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin had said.

The DOJ, meanwhile, acknowledged the call.

"The DOJ acknowledges the calls to submit the report from the Quad Committee of Congress regarding the drug war killings under former President Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC. We also acknowledge calls to rejoin the ICC,” Clavano said.

The Philippines, under Duterte, withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, in 2019 after the tribunal began a probe into his drug war.

Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration's anti-drug operations. Human rights organizations, however, say that the number may reach 30,000 due to the unreported related slays.  — RSJ, GMA Integrated News