Palace has 'no reaction' on ICC prosecutor's charges vs. Duterte

Malacañang refused to comment on the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor charging former President Rodrigo Duterte with murder and attempted murder. 

"No reaction," Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a Wednesday briefing. 

The ICC had disclosed the criminal charges former President Rodrigo Duterte is facing before the tribunal involving 49 incidents of murder and attempted murder in his war on drugs when he was mayor of Davao City and as President of the Philippines.

“The Prosecution charges the murders and attempted murders below, although the actual scale of victimization during the charged period was significantly greater, as reflected in the widespread nature of the attack,” read the document signed by ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye NIang.

Count 1 involves murder as a crime against humanity in Davao City, of the 19 victims of nine incidents between 2013 and around 2016, when Duterte was mayor, as an indirect co-perpetrator, and/or by ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting.

Count 2 involves murder as a crime against humanity of ‘high-value targets’ in locations across the Philippines of the 14 victims of five incidents when Duterte was President between around 2016 and 2017, as an indirect co-perpetrator, and/or by ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting.

Count 3 involves murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity in barangay clearance operations in locations across the Philippines of the 45 victims, 43 of which were killed, of Incidents 15 to 49, between when Duterte was President between around 2016 and  2018, as an indirect co-perpetrator, and/or by ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting.

Welfare Check

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, meanwhile, raised concern regarding a “welfare check” that was supposedly conducted by the Philippine Embassy in The Hague to her father.

The Vice President said that she received such “disturbing information” from Malacañang that a report about her father was submitted to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. by the embassy. 

“The officials entered the detention unit under the false pretense of conducting a ‘welfare check’ and interviewed FPRRD. The said officials clearly abused the rule of the detention unit concerning consular visits,” the Vice President said. 

“The officials entered the detention unit under the false pretense of conducting a ‘welfare check’ and interviewed FPRRD. The said officials clearly abused the rule of the detention unit concerning consular visits,” the Vice President said. 

“If such sham ‘welfare checks’ are allowed to continue, then the ICC and the Philippine Government must be prepared to answer, fully and directly, for any harm that comes to Former President Duterte —including, should the worst happen, his death in custody as a direct result of these intrusions, the false pretense of conducting a ‘welfare check,’” VP Sara said. 

GMA News Online has reached out to Malacañang and will update this story once it responds. —VAL, GMA Integrated News