PH courts still working, drug war victims can still file cases –Palace

THANKSGIVING. Photos of so-called extrajudicial killing victims under the Duterte administration’s drug war are displayed at Sacred Heart Parish in Kamuning, Quezon City where a Mass was held Tuesday (March 11, 2025). The Philippine government complied with the International Criminal Police Organization’s request to enforce the International Criminal Court order to arrest former president Rodrigo R. Duterte for cases of crimes against humanity. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – Philippine courts are “still working” and victims of the drug war launched by former president Rodrigo Duterte can still file cases against him despite his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Malacañang said Wednesday.

“There’s no waiver yet of the right of the State to still run after him, if there are other complainants in the country,” Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press conference.

Castro said the Philippine government turned Duterte over to the ICC because of its obligation to heed the International Criminal Police Organization’s (Interpol) request to implement the warrant of arrest against the former president.

She added that the government is merely enforcing Section 70 of Republic Act (RA) 9851, which states that “authorities may surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court, if any, or to another State pursuant to the applicable extradition laws and treaties.”

“It just so happened that there is a pending case before the ICC and we are just complying and enforcing RA 9851, especially Section 70… So, we have not yet waived the rights of the alleged victims in the Philippines. They can still file cases,” Castro said.

Over 6,200 drug suspects were killed in anti-narcotics operations during the Duterte administration from June 2016 to November 2021, according to government data.

Human rights groups, however, peg the number at around 30,000.

Castro said there is nothing wrong with the Philippine government’s decision to surrender Duterte to the ICC, noting that the former president was given due process but failed to act on the charges he is facing before the chamber.

“Of course, it’s still working. Pero sa pagkakataong ito, sa panahon ni dating pangulong Duterte, hindi natin alam. Kaya nga nagkaroon ng pag-file ng complaint sa ICC. Katulad nang sinabi ko, binigyan ang gobyerno ng isang taon para patunayan kung gumagana ang hustisya laban sa mga (But this time, during the time of former president Duterte, we don’t know. That’s why there was a complaint filed with the ICC. As I said, the government was given a year to prove whether justice is working against the) war on drugs,” she said.

“It is regular. What the government did was regular. It is based on the law, based on our law. Based on our own RA 9851… This is the first time that we did this. So if you did everything based on the law, I think there would be no question on that,” Castro added.

Castro also clarified that the Philippines still has no intention to cooperate with the ICC, since the country is no longer a state party to the international court.

She echoed the Philippine government’s stance that the ICC no longer has jurisdiction over the Philippines.

Asked if the government is considering rejoining the ICC, Castro said there is no discussion on the matter yet.

The Philippines formally cut ties with the ICC on March 17, 2019, or a year after the country formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, which creates the international court.