DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 March) – Former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested “in compliance with our commitments to Interpol,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in his address to the nation minutes after the plane carrying Duterte took off at 11:03 p.m. en route to The Hague in the Netherlands, the base of the International Criminal Court (ICC) where he is charged for alleged “crimes against humanity” due to his “war on drugs.”
Duterte, who is turning 80 on March 28, was accompanied by former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, a private nurse and a personal assistant.
The plane, a Gulfstream G550 jet (RP-C5219) was bound for The Hague, where the former President is “to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs,” Marcos said.
Duterte was taken into government custody at the Villamor Air Base upon his arrival at around 9:20 a.m. on Cathay Pacific Flight CX907 from Hong Kong.
Marcos said that a few hours before Duterte’s arrival, Interpol Manila received an official copy of the ICC warrant, prompting the prosecutor general of the Department of Justice to serve the warrant.
“Interpol asked for help, and we obliged because we have commitments to the Interpol which we have to fulfill,” he said, adding that if the Philippines does not comply, “they will no longer help us with other cases involving Filipino fugitives abroad.”
“This is what the international community expects of us as the leader of a democratic country that is part of the community of nations,” Marcos said.
Asked by the Malacañang Press Corps if there is a physical copy of the warrant of arrest from the ICC, Marcos said yes.
He said he received a copy at around 3 a.m. Tuesday from Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. “We have the warrant of arrest from Interpol. And I said, Okay. We’ll put all our plans into place.”
“So, yes, there is a very clear document that will explain … the basis on how we conducted this arrest of former President Duterte,” he said, describing it as “very simple.”
“It’s a request to the Philippine government from Interpol to enforce the arrest warrant,” Marcos said.
“We did not do this because it was derived from or it came from ICC. We did this because Interpol asked us to do it,” he said, adding the Philippines has commitments to the Interpol “and we live up to those commitments.”
Duterte and his lawyers had earlier argued that the arrest was unlawful, citing among others, that the Philippines is no longer a signatory to the Rome Statute effective March 17, 2019. But the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber 1 said the court “retains jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes that occurred on the territory of the Philippines while it was a State Party, from 1 November 2011 up to and including 16 March 2019.”
Duterte, long-time mayor of Davao City (1988 to 1998; 2001 to 2010; 2013 to 2016) and President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was Vice Mayor from 2010 to 2013 and his last term as mayor was from 2013 to 2016.
The extrajudicial killings in Davao City before November 1, 2011 due to his “war on drugs” are not included because the period covered is only when the Philippines was a State Party.
“Well, we followed every single necessary procedure. We had a very good basis on which to serve that warrant and to read him his rights,” Marcos said.
All the legal procedures that are necessary were followed, he said, “so I’m confident that if in further examination, you will find that it is proper and correct.”
He reiterated that the arrest “was in compliance with our commitments to Interpol. It just so happened that that came from ICC. But it’s not because it came from ICC. It’s because it came from Interpol.”
MindaNews sought Duterte’s lawyers, former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III and Israelito Torreon for comment but they have yet to send their reply.
Marcos denied the arrest was a political persecution in preparation for the 2028 Presidential elections.
He said he was certain Duterte’s supporters would say that. “But this case started in 2017 when we were still members of the ICC and it was during the time of former President Duterte. So I don’t see how that can be political persecution on my part. Because it was initiated before I even came into the picture.”
“Pero sinundan lang natin yung Interpol. Wala tayong, hindi natin kinakausap yung ICC (We just followed Interpol. We don’t have, we did not talk to the ICC).
He said the ICC asked for several documents but the Philippine government did not give any. “Yun lamang, hindi natin mahindian ang Interpol” (But we cannot say no to the Interpol), repeating what he earlier said about being part of the community of nations.
“We must live up to our responsibilities to the commitments that we have made to the community of nations. And that is what’s happened here,” he explained, adding “politics doesn’t enter into it.”
“He’s never going to be a candidate for anything. Why go after him? Tsaka 2017 pa ito. Wala pa ako. Civilian pa ako noon,” he said.
In October last year, Duterte filed his certificate of candidacy for an eighth term as Davao City mayor. His daughter, Vice President Sara, who was Marcos’ running mate under the UniTeam banner in 2022, was impeached by the House of Representatives last month. Sara is being eyed as candidate for President in 2028. (MindaNews)
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