The police said that only with the higher offices’ approvals can they release to the International Criminal Court (ICC) the records of administration’s campaign to eradicate illegal drugs.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), through its spokesman Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, said that it is willing to cooperate with the probe in relation to the criminal case against President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
“On the part of the PNP we will. We will, provided there will be an approval from the higher office, in this case, the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) or Malacañang,” Bulalacao said on Tuesday, March 27 in a Palace press briefing.
The agency assigned by the President to head his war on drugs, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), in February had expressed its willingness to cooperate with the ICC if they are asked.
“This is precisely why we came up with Real Numbers so we can be transparent in the conduct of the anti-drug campaign. Now if the data will be summoned in relation to such hearing, PDEA will support in terms of data,” PDEA Director Derrick Carreon during the #RealNumbers briefing.
These statements of the drug war leading agencies, however, oppose Duterte as he has earlier ordered the police and the military to not say anything this March.
“Pagdating ng human rights o sino mang rapporteur d’yan, ang order ko sa inyo (When human rights [organizations] or any rapporteur arrives, my order to you): Do not answer. Do not bother,” Duterte said in Davao City.
The Chief Executive maintained his stance that the ICC has no jurisdiction over him.
“Why would we be answering? Sino sila (Who are they)? And who are you to interfere in the way I would run my country? You know very well that we are being swallowed by drugs,” he added.
On March 14, Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the Rome Statute – the treaty that created the ICC.
(Read: Duterte withdraws PH from ICC)