Palace: DOJ legal brief on ICC warrants just standard procedure

FILE: Facade of the Malacañang Palace as seen from Pasig River. (Photo by Architect Jorge Ramos (d. 2015) for the underlying copyrighted work (Malacañang Palace). Image is by Official Gazette of the Philippines, originally uploaded on Commons by User:P-JR – Commons:File:Malacañang Palace (Cropped).jpg, Public Domain)

MANILA – The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) move to prepare a legal brief for President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was just “standard procedure” to lay out his options over arrest warrants of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Filipino nationals.

Presidential Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said this in a statement on Thursday even as she added that the President’s stance on the ICC issue “remains clear and consistent.

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However, Garafil noted that it is the duty of the DOJ, as the government’s principal law agency, “to explore all legal avenues and ensure that the President is fully informed of his options.”

“This is standard procedure, not a change in position, ensuring that our administration remains prepared for any scenario,” Garafil said.

On Wednesday, the DOJ announced that it is preparing a legal brief to help Marcos weigh in on several options in case the ICC issues a warrant against his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte and several others.

This follows the claim of former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that the ICC may issue an arrest warrant against Duterte by June.

The Marcos administration has repeatedly said that it would not recognize the ICC as the country is no longer a member and is more than willing and capable of prosecuting erring individuals.

Duterte is facing an ICC investigation for alleged crimes against humanity over his controversial war on drugs.