Escudero: No formal communication yet from ICC as regards drug war probe

Senate President Francis ''Chiz'' Escudero said Tuesday that the chamber has not received any formal communication yet from the International Criminal Court (ICC) as regards former President Rodrigo Duterte's recent remarks in the chamber's inquiry on the drug war.

“I have no idea about this ICC. I keep on reading about it but no formal communication has been sent to me as Senate President, no formal communication has been sent to the Senate about that,” Escudero said.

''Whatever I read about ICC is only from Filipinos who claimed to be talking to them. But no formal communication or letter from the ICC for me to actually make an educated evaluation of what they will do or where they are right now in the current situation,'' he added.

Duterte earlier told lawmakers that he would take “full, legal responsibility” on the drug war as he had defended the police officials who executed the bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

The former president said he had carried out the drug war in order to protect Filipinos. According to him, he tried his best to address the country’s problem on illegal drugs “firmly and without compromise.”

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

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has been firm in his stance that he will not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC over the Philippines.

Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Hague-based ICC's Rome Statute in 2018, with the withdrawal taking effect in 2019, after the tribunal began a preliminary probe into his administration's drug war. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News