ICC not a political weapon, case was filed by a Filipino in 2017, says Usec. Castro

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the International Criminal Court (ICC) is not being used as a political weapon, noting that it was a Filipino citizen who filed the case against the alleged abuses committed by the Duterte administration on its war on drugs almost ten years ago.

"Unang-una alam naman natin ang ICC korte po ito at meron namang kaso. May kaso na kapwa nating Pilipino ang nagsampa laban sa mga diumanong pang-aabuso patungkol sa EJK (extra-judicial killing). So huwag natin kalimutan 'yan. Pilipino rin po ang nagsampa ng kaso," Castro said in an interview.

(First of all, we know that this is the ICC court and there is a case. There is a case that a fellow Filipino filed against the alleged abuses regarding the EJK. So let's not forget that. A Filipino filed the case.)

She added that if a valid warrant of arrest is issued, this is valid as the ICC wants someone to be held accountable.

"So bakit ba lagi natin sinisi ang korte, sinisi natin ang administrasyon. Huwag natin kalimutan na yung kaso nasampa ito 2017 pa. So hindi ito wine-weaponize, kinakailangan lamang po na matugunan din ang hiling ng mga kababayan natin," she said.

(So why do we always blame the court, we blame the administration. Let's not forget that the case was filed in 2017. So this is not weaponized, what is needed is that the request of our countrymen be met.)

"Kung may kailangan may managot, dapat na managot. Kung kailangan may malinis ang pangalan, malinis ang pangalan. Ang nagyayari kasi dito, lagi na lamang ginagamit ang isyu na ito para pagalitin ang kapwa natin Pilipino at pag-usapan ang tungkol sa soberenya," she added.

(If someone needs to be held accountable, they should be held accountable. If someone needs to have their name cleared, their name will be cleared. What is happening here is that this issue is always being used to make our fellow Filipinos angry and to talk about sovereignty.)

Castro noted that the country has a law stating that it can surrender respondents to the ICC.

The Palace Press Officer issued the statement after Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte alleged that arrest warrants from the ICC have been issued against Senator Christopher “Bong” Go and two former police officers.

The son of the detained former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is facing charges on crimes against humanity at the ICC, said that a “highly reliable source” gave him the information.

“Wala na ba talagang katapusan ang administrasyong ito sa paggamit ng ICC bilang political weapon laban sa kanilang mga kalaban?” said Paolo in a Facebook post.

(Is there really no end to this administration's use of the ICC as a political weapon against its political rivals?)

On the possible arrest warrants that would be issued to other respondents in the ICC case, Castro cited how the warrant of arrest for Sen. Bato dela Rosa is being implemented.

Castro said, as to the operations, she will leave it to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide the answers. — BAP, GMA News