DILG's Abalos: No communication with ICC probers

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Wednesday said there has been no communication with investigators from the International Criminal Court (ICC), who supposedly arrived in the Philippines to conduct their probe into the drug war.

At a Palace press briefing, Abalos was asked about reports that ICC probers have already finished gathering evidence on the Duterte administration's war on drugs. He responded to a question on whether or not the ICC investigators reached out to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the local government units (LGUs), both of which are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

"As far as our office is concerned, the DILG, I have no knowledge about this. There's no communication with them, nothing at all," Abalos said.

On Monday, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, claimed to have information that ICC probers arrived in the country last December.

He said a warrant is expected to be issued soon against former President Rodrigo Duterte and other respondents in connection with the tribunal's probe on the campaign against illegal drugs.

Interviewed by reporters the next day, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said that the Philippine government would not lift a finger to help any investigation by  the ICC.

Marcos said he considers the ICC as a threat to the Philippine sovereignty, noting that he does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction over the country.

For his part, Abalos said the DILG would always follow the lead of the President on the matter.

In a statement to GMA Integrated News on Tuesday, the ICC assured that it would continue to seek justice for the victims of the drug war. Part of this effort, the ICC said, is to dialogue with the Philippine government and relevant stakeholders.

"The ICC Office of the Prosecutor is pursuing its efforts to deliver justice to victims in the Philippines," the ICC statement read, adding that, "Under the Rome Statute, these efforts are complementary to national efforts, and nothing about the ICC investigation should stop or hinder national criminal investigations and prosecutions."

"While pursuing its investigation, the Office will seek to engage and establish a dialogue with all relevant stakeholders, including the Philippine Government and civil society," the ICC said.

The ICC neither confirmed nor denied if its any of its investigators had entered or are currently in the Philippines, saying these were operational details of its ongoing efforts. — VDV, GMA Integrated News