PH an independent state, not province of any foreign power – Palace

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

Castro maintained that the Philippine government merely complied with the law, citing Republic Act (RA) 9851 which authorizes authorities to surrender or extradite the accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court. (File Photo: iSawRed/Unsplash)

MANILA – The Philippines is an “independent” country, Malacañang said on Thursday, as it dismissed insinuations that the country is now a “province of The Hague.”

“Hindi po natin ninais na maging probinsiya ng kahit anuman dahil po tayo ay isang independent country,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.

Senator Imee Marcos, in a Senate hearing on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest, lamented that the former chief executive was surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face charges of crimes against humanity due to the killings associated with his drug war.

She also asked since when did the Philippines “become a province of The Hague,” as she expressed dismay over the Philippine government’s decision to allow “outsiders” to take Duterte.

Castro maintained that the Philippine government merely complied with the law, citing Republic Act (RA) 9851 which authorizes authorities to surrender or extradite the accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court.

Castro said the Senate hearing is “not a slap on the administration,” despite the fact that the lawmaker is the sister of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

Castro added that there is no effort from the President to stop his sister from conducting a Senate investigation into Duterte’s arrest “to show the people that [the government is] only following the law.”

“Kapag po kasi nagtatago, ayaw makipag-usap, lahat ng mga officers niya ay sasabihing walang alam ay mas lalo tayong magpapakita na may itinatago tayo. So, ‘yung mga dating nagagawa noong panahon na hindi pinapapunta ang mga Cabinet members kapag pinapatawag sa Senado, hindi po iyan gagawin ng Pangulo (If we hide, do not want to talk, all his officers will say that we do not know, then we will show even more that we are hiding something. So, those old practices of not sending Cabinet members to the Senate when they are summoned, the President will not do that),” Castro said.

“Para lamang po tayo sa katotohanan at maipakita kung ano ba ang ginawa natin nang naaayon sa batas (We are only for the truth and to show that what we have done is in accordance with the law),” she added.

Duterte was the subject of an arrest warrant by the ICC over the alleged crimes against humanity committed due to his drug war carried out between Nov. 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019.

Duterte, who is currently staying at the ICC Detention Center in The Hague, Netherlands, is scheduled to attend the international chamber’s next hearing to confirm his charges on Sept. 23.