Palace maintains gov't not cooperating with the ICC

Malacañang maintained Wednesday that the Philippine government has not been cooperating with the International Criminal Court. 

This was the response of Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro when asked about the remarks made by ICC spokesperson Dr. Fadi El Abdallah thanking the Philippines for enforcing the international accountability mechanism when the Court issued a warrant of arrest against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

''We have not been cooperating with the ICC. It's clear because the stance of the President regarding the jurisdiction of the ICC over the Philippines remains,'' Castro said during a briefing. 

On March 11, Philippine authorities assisted the Interpol in serving a warrant of arrest from the ICC against Duterte for crimes against humanity in connection with his bloody drug war.

After his arrest, Duterte was brought to the Hague in the Netherlands.

Duterte on March 13 (Philippine time) entered the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison where he is set to be held while awaiting trial.

The next hearing on the confirmation of the charges has been set for September 23, 2025.

Abdallah had underscored that the ICC stands firm in its position that it has jurisdiction over crimes committed before the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute.—AOL, GMA Integrated News