Philippines says it would be obliged to comply if Interpol seeks ex-president Duterte’s arrest

Manila: On Wednesday ( Nov 13 ), the government of the Philippines declared it would not interfere with former president Rodrigo Duterte’s request to surrender to the International Criminal Court ( ICC ) and would be required to do so if his arrest was demanded because of his drug-related war.

The volatile Duterte told the ICC to “hurry up” its investigation into his probable crimes against humanity during a congressional hearing on Wednesday about the bloody assault on narcotics that claimed thousands of Filipinos ‘ lives.

In a statement released shortly after, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s business stated that it would contemplate handing Duterte over in the event that an Interpol request was made.

The government did feel compelled to take the red notice seriously as a request to be honored, according to president’s executive secretary Lucas Bersamin, who stated that local law enforcement organizations would be required to cooperate fully.

The Spanish government’s declaration was important because it was the first time it had suggested cooperation with the ICC since Duterte’s 2016-2022 presidency was defined next year.

Duterte when the president withdrawn the Philippines from the ICC in March 2019 after the country’s initial investigation into the murders. The prosecutor has stated that the court’s prosecutors have control over alleged crimes committed prior to the withdrawal.

Bersamin claimed in the statement that Duterte’s request to retreat would not be a problem with the government.