Duterte says he'll prepare for ICC case once he steps down from office

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he will prepare for his defense for the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation on his war on drugs after he steps down from office in 2022.

"Gusto nila umuwi na ako sa Davao [City] at maghintay ako. Sa maraming dada ng dada ng kaso, hintayin ko kayo. I will prepare for my defense na yung ICC na yan," he said during his Talk to the People.

(They want me to return to Davao and wait. For those talking about cases, wait for me. I will prepare for my defense, that ICC thing.)

Duterte, however, appealed to probers not to fabricate evidence against him.

"Hindi ko kayo tinatakot, huwag niyo ako dayain sa ebidensiya [I'm not intimidating you, just don't fabricate evidence against me]," he said.

But despite his remark, Duterte maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines since the country has already withdrawn from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.

"may sarili kaming judicial system dito, huwag kayong makialam [We have our own judicial system here so mind your own business]," he said.

Duterte's chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, earlier said the President is not bothered by the possible human rights cases and the ICC probe once he retires from politics.

Panelo, in an Unang Balita interview on Monday, maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country to investigate the killings under Duterte’s drug  war.

On Saturday, Duterte announced his retirement from politics, citing the “overwhelming sentiment” of the Filipino people. —KBK, GMA News