Palace says no betrayal in Duterte arrest

Malacañang on Friday denied the allegations of betrayal after it assisted the Interpol in implementing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“Kung iisipin po natin, wala pong ginawang betrayal ang Pangulo kanino man po dahil po tinutupad lamang ang sarili nating batas,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro told Unang Balita.

(If we think about it, the President has not committed any betrayal to anyone because we are only enforcing our own laws.)

“So mas mahirap po siguro magkaroon ng betrayal ang administrasyon sa sarili nating batas. So wala pong betrayal kung kanino man po kung ito man po nagpapatupad ng pag-cooperate sa Interpol,” she added

(So it would be more difficult for the administration to commit any betrayal to our own laws. So there is no betrayal to anyone if the administration was just implementing laws by cooperating with Interpol.)

Castro earlier said what the government did was regular and based on Republic Act 9851 of the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

''It’s just so happened that there is already pending case before the ICC, and we are just complying and enforcing RA 9851 especially Section 17 wherein that the... stating therein that instead the authorities may surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court if any or to any other state pursuant to the applicable extradition laws and treaties,'' she said.

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who served as the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief during Duterte’s controversial drug war, accused President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. of betrayal after the arrest of the ex-president.

According to Dela Rosa, Marcos supposedly assured him that he will never cooperate with the ICC as the international tribunal might also pursue cases against his own family. 

“‘Wag kang mag alala, hinding-hindi ako mag-cooperate sa ICC dahil after ninyo, who’s next? Baka kami na naman.’ Yan ang sabi niya sa akin,” Dela Rosa earlier said.

(“Don’t worry, I will never cooperate with the ICC because after you, who’s next? It might be us.” That is what he told me.)

“Feeling betrayed. Betrayal to the max,” Dela Rosa added.

Castro also dismissed Dela Rosa’s claim that the Marcos’ administration was eager to arrest Duterte. 

“Yan lamang po siguro ang kanyang pananaw dahil siya nga rin ay nangangamba kung siya ay may warrant of arrest. Natural po na maramdaman niya yan,” Castro said.

(That's probably just his perspective because he is also worried if he has an arrest warrant. It's natural for him to feel that.)

“Pero tayo lang po ay nagpapatupad. Noong dumating ang warrant of arrest sa pamamagitan ng Interpol, doon lamang natin pinatupad. So wala pong masasabing atat na atat po ang gobyerno na ipahuli ang dating pangulong Duterte,” she added.

(But we were just implementing. When the arrest warrant came through Interpol, that's when we implemented it. So we cannot say that the government is too eager to arrest former president Duterte.)

Castro also clarified that the Interpol and the Department of Justice have a hard copy of the arrest warrant against Duterte.

In a separate Unang Balita interview, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Police General Major General Nicolas Torre III said Duterte’s lawyer Atty. Martin Delgra signed a hard copy of the arrest warrant. 

“Meron po...Hindi po pala mai-deny ‘yun kasi may hard copy po na tinanggap si Atty. Delgra. Pinirmahan niya ho ‘yun,” Torre said.

(There was a physical copy... It can't be denied because there is a hard copy that Atty. Delgra received. He signed it.)

The Supreme Court (SC) earlier ordered the respondent government officials in the petitions for habeas corpus seeking the release of Duterte to comment in 24 hours on why the writ should not be issued.

“Yan po naman ay regular na ginagawa po ng SC para po sa due process, para madinig din po ‘yung kabilang panig. So sasagot naman po ang gobyerno kapag natanggap na po ‘yung ganyang utos through the [Office of the Solicitor General].” Castro said.

(That is what the SC does regularly for due process so that the other side can be heard. So the government will respond when it receives such an order through the Office of the Solicitor General.)

The ICC may issue more arrest warrants for the “co-perpetrators” of Duterte in connection with the killings during his administration’s war on drugs, the lawyer of the families of the victims Atty. Joel Butuyan earlier said.

So far, Castro said the Palace has not received any communications on possible more ICC arrest warrants.

On Tuesday morning, authorities served a warrant of arrest from the ICC against Duterte for crimes against humanity in connection with his drug war.

The plane carrying Duterte departed the Philippines on Tuesday evening heading to The Hague in the Netherlands.

Early Thursday morning (Philippine time), Duterte entered the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison where he is set to be held while awaiting trial.

Duterte's first appearance at the ICC has been set for Friday.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA Integrated News