Palace denies government targeting Dutertes

Malacañang on Wednesday denied that the administration is supposedly targeting the Dutertes following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte due to crimes against humanity charges in the International Criminal Court. 

At a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked for comment on the recent remark of Davao City Mayor Sebastian ''Baste'' Duterte that their family's situation was difficult because the administration has been singling them out. 

''Okay. Kapag ba sini-single out ibig po ba sabihin gusto niya mas marami pa ang madamay? Tandaan po natin, sa warrant of arrest ang dating Pangulong Duterte ay dinescribe [describe] bilang indirect co-perpetrator. So, ang nais niya po ay dapat hindi lang ang ama niya ang maaresto dahil may mga diumano pang kasabwat,'' Castro responded. 

(Okay. If he's saying they are being singled out, does that mean that he wants other people to be affected? Let us remember that in the warrant of arrest of former President Duterte, he was described as an indirect co-perpetrator. So, he wants other people to be arrested as well because others were alleged co-perpetrators.)

 ''Well, anyway ang ibig pong sabihin nito, gusto naman po niyang iparating sa taumbayan na kawawa na naman po ang mga Duterte dahil sini-single out. Ang warrant of arrest po ay para lamang po kay dating Pangulong Duterte wala pa po ang ibang mga co-perpetrators na nakasaad doon. So, hindi po tayo makakaiwas na si dating Pangulong Duterte lamang po ang i-surrender sa ICC,'' Castro said. 

(This means he wants the public to show pity to the Dutertes because they're allegedly being singled out. The warrant of arrest was only for former President Duterte. So we can't prevent the surrender of Duterte to the ICC.)

''So, walang sini-single out dito. Ang nangyayari dito, iyong mga kasong tungkol sa crimes against humanity kagagawan din po ng kaniyang ama na ibinibintang sa kanila,'' she added.

(No one is being singled out here. What's happening is about the alleged crimes against humanity of his father.)

'Diversionary tactic'

Castro also denied that the arrest was just a diversionary tactic from other pertinent national issues such as matters about PhilHealth and the 2025 national budget.

''Hindi po ito diversionary tactic, okay. Ang hindi na nga po napag-uusapan ngayon ay iyong tungkol sa confidential funds,'' Castro said.

(This is not a diversionary tactic, okay. What's not being discussed is the issue of confidential funds.) 

''Buti nga po at lumabas nga rin pong muli itong mga sinasabing mga fake na receipts dahil mukhang makakalimutan na ng mga tao kung nasaan na nga ba iyong mga confidential funds na ipinagkatiwala mismo kay Vice President VP Sara,'' she added. 

(It's good that the issue of fake receipts has resurfaced because it seems the public has forgotten how the confidential funds, entrusted to Vice President Sara Duterte, were used.)

Earlier, the younger Duterte criticized President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. for allowing his father to be arrested even after the latter allowed the President’s late father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016.

Castro then said the implementation of the law should not be stopped by a debt of gratitude. 

''Just like what I've said, we should not renege on the commitment with Interpol,'' the Palace official said. 

ICC investigation

Meanwhile, at the same briefing, Castro maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines only after the country's withdrawal from it.

She also maintained that the ICC had continued its investigation into the anti-drug campaign because the previous administration supposedly failed to look into the drug war deaths

''Walang jurisdiction after the withdrawal, we have to be clear on that, okay. Now, siguro po kung mayroon mang issue patungkol sa hindi pagsampa ng kaso dito sa bansa patungkol sa crimes against humanity mas magandang tanungin natin iyong nakaraang administrasyon dahil November 2021 humiling ang gobyerno, ang administrasyon mismo ni dating Pangulong Duterte at ito naman ay naka-record na ipahinto muna ang pag-iimbestiga ng ICC prosecutor at dahil magsasagawa sila ng pag-iimbestiga, magsasampa ng kaso na dapat isampa – that’s November 2021,'' Castro said.

(If there's an issue as regards filing of case on crimes against humanity here in our country, it's better if we will ask the previous administration because in November 2021, the Duterte administration asked the ICC prosecutor to stop the investigation as it sought to conduct its own probe into the alleged crimes, that's November 2021.)

''Lumipas ang panahon, June 2022 hindi pa po nanunumpa si Pangulong Marcos, sinabi po ng ICC prosecutor na hindi nagampanan ng administrasyon ni dating Pangulong Duterte iyong pangako, iyong undertaking na sila ay magsasagawa ng pag-iimbestiga at magsasampa ng karampatang kaso kaya po ipinagpatuloy muli ang pag-iimbestiga ng ICC prosecutor,'' she added.

(Times have passed and in June 2022, when President Marcos was not yet taking his oath, the ICC prosecutor said that the Duterte administration failed to conduct an investigation and the filing of cases that's why the ICC continued its probe.) — LDF/RSJ, GMA Integrated News