Lawyer Trixie Cruz Angeles, a former press secretary of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., expressed doubt on the validity of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity.
“Nagdududa pa po kami sa validity ng arrest warrant. Nagdududa kami dito sa procedure kasi ang pangako ng ating Pangulo, walang jurisdiction ang ICC dito kung kaya ang turn over na ito ay illegal,” Angeles said.
She, along with other Duterte supporters, trooped to Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, where the former president was brought by the police after being served an arrest warrant at NAIA.
As of writing, Duterte remained under the custody of the Philippine National Police but it remains clear where he would be brought after being served an arrest warrant.
Angelez also expressed fear that the former president would be flown to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands following his arrest at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Tuesday, March 11.
“‘Yun po ang pinangangambahan namin na baka ilabas siya sa ating bansa (That’s what we fear, that he would be brought outside of the country),” Angeles said.
According to Police Major Allan Valdez, head of Pasay City Police investigation unit, around 100 supporters have since gathered in front of the Villamor Air Base.
ICC Assistant to Counsel lawyer Kristina Conti said that when a person is arrested under a warrant of arrest from the ICC, he should be turned over to law enforcement officer of a member-state, and should be flown to The Hague, Netherlands as soon as possible.
According to Article 127 of the Rome Statute, a treaty which established the ICC, a state “shall not be discharged, by reason of its withdrawal, from the obligations arising from this Statute while it was a Party to the Statute.”
According to Conti, this means that the possible crimes against humanity committed by Duterte when he became president in 2016 until he ordered the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in 2019 remain under the jurisdiction of the ICC.
But Angeles believes that the government under the Marcos administration should no longer recognize the authority of the ICC.
“Hindi natin dapat kinikilala ito or at the very least dapat pinasu-subsume ito sa jurisdiction ng hukuman,” she said.
“Kapag tayo po ay hinihingian ng extradition, dumadaan po ‘yan sa hukuman. Ito pong procedure dito sa pagkikilala ng arrest warrant sa isang international tribunal ay maaari lang gawin kung ito ay dinulog muna sa hukuman ng Pilipinas dahil tayo ay isang bansang may soberanya,” she said.
“At ang soberanya na ‘yan, ibig sabihin pwede natin hindi kilalanin ang mga utos na naggagaling sa ibang tribunals na pang international,” she added. (Martin Sadongdong)
