23-1-2024 (MANILA) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr declared on Tuesday (Jan 23) that the Philippines will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the brutal anti-narcotics campaign conducted under the previous administration. Reiterating that the ICC has no jurisdiction, Marcos stated that the government is closely monitoring the presence of ICC investigators in the country and has instructed agencies not to assist their probe.
“I consider it as a threat to our sovereignty. Therefore, the Philippine government will not lift a finger to help any investigation that the ICC conducts,” Marcos firmly expressed to reporters.
While ICC investigators are allowed to visit the Philippines as ordinary individuals, the government will not provide any assistance, Marcos added.
In 2019, the Philippines officially withdrew from the international tribunal after then-President Rodrigo Duterte questioned its authority to investigate the campaign against illegal drugs, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of individuals.
Despite Manila’s appeal last year to halt the ICC’s drug war probe, the request was denied, clearing the path for an investigation into the killings.
