DOJ Drops a Legal Bombshell: No Law Stops Philippines from Working with the ICC on Duterte Case

In a major development in the long-running saga surrounding former President Rodrigo Duterte's legal troubles, the Department of Justice on Tuesday declared that there is absolutely no law preventing the Philippine government from coordinating with the International Criminal Court — even after the country officially withdrew from the Rome Statute.

DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez made the clarification during a press briefing after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed that he had met with ICC investigators to discuss witness protection in the case against Duterte. "There is no legal prohibition under our laws that says you cannot coordinate with any international agency or tribunal, and that doing so would be a constitutional violation," Martinez stated firmly.

However, Martinez was careful to note that the current DOJ leadership has not personally met with the ICC. The department is currently waiting for the Supreme Court to resolve pending petitions questioning the legality of Duterte's arrest and possible cooperation with the Hague-based tribunal.

"Because of the pending petitions before the Supreme Court, we deem it prudent to wait for the resolution. But our position is that if we were to coordinate with the ICC now, there would be no legal prohibition," Martinez explained. It's a clear signal that the Marcos administration is keeping the door open for ICC engagement.

This is a significant shift from the Duterte era, when the former president pulled the Philippines out of the ICC in 2019 specifically to block its investigation into his bloody war on drugs. The DOJ's stance now could pave the way for deeper cooperation with the international tribunal — a development that Duterte's allies in the Senate will surely push back against. Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.

Source: Philippine News Agency