Duterte on ICC: I'll never accept jurisdiction

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he will only face a Philippine court amid the International Criminal Court's move to investigate the alleged crimes against humanity in his administration's drug war.

In his speech during the inauguration of the Philippine Ports Authority seaport expansion project and the Philippine Coast Guard Kalayaan station in Palawan, Duterte said if he should be imprisoned for the killings, it should be in Philippine jails.

"They want me to go to prison. Well, maybe, but it has to be a Philippine prison and I must be judged by a judicial court of the Republic of the Philippines and I must be prosecuted, kailangan Pilipino," Duterte said.

"Ano ba problema nila? Bakit sila pumunta dito? I will never accept jurisdiction. Mag-ice na ang impyerno, 'di ako papayag sa kalokohan nila," he added.

"Jurisdiction? Ako? Akong haharap ng mga judges na puti? P-- ina nila. Ako? Haharap ako ng Filipino judges, hindi kayo," Duterte said.

The president also assumed full responsibility for the killings of drug lords and mayors involved in illegal drugs.

"Wala naman tayong problema. Mayroon tayong mga kasalanan, admitted man 'yan, either intentional or unintentional. Pero 'yang sa droga, 'di yan sinadya," Duterte said.

"Pero 'yong mga drug lords na ni-raid tapos pinatay at mga mayors, akin 'yan," he added.

"I assume full responsibility and if there's anybody who should go to prison, it should not be the police or (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency), it should be me because they were acting upon my orders," Duterte said.

In September, the ICC said it found reasonable ground to investigate the Philippines' war on drugs for alleged crimes against humanity.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque has said the Duterte administration would never cooperate because the country was no longer a member of the ICC.

Roque said Duterte was confident that he would not be held liable for crimes against humanity over the drug war killings because the allegations against him are based on hearsay.

Retired ICC judge Raul Pangalangan has said that the Rome Statute was clear that the ICC retained jurisdiction even after a state's withdrawal from the tribunal.

The Supreme Court also said the Philippines is obliged to comply with the investigation. -NB, GMA News