ICC Office of the Prosecutor Issues Statement over Duterte’s Arrest, Transfer
ICC – The International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor welcomed the arrest and transfer of former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
The arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte has gathered countless reactions from the Filipino people. He just arrived from Hong Kong when the authorities of the Philippine National Police (PNP) arrested the former President following a warrant reportedly issued by the International Criminal Court.
During Duterte’s term, the International Criminal Court started a probe on the war on drugs of the previous administration. It looked into the alleged deaths of innocents due to the drug war. The investigation visibly did not sit well with the then-President. He removed the country from being a member of the ICC.
In its recent statement following the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the ICC noted that “the case against Mr. Duterte falls within the jurisdiction of the Court as the alleged crimes occurred during the period when the Philippines was a State Party to the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty”.
Based on a report on GMA News, the International Criminal Court welcomed the arrest and the transfer of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte to their custody. According to ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, the arrest of the former Philippine President is a factor in the pursuit for accountability.
“The arrest of Mr. Duterte is an important development in the Office’s pursuit of accountability in the situation in the Republic of the Philippines for alleged crimes committed in the context of the so-called ‘war on drugs’ campaign,” the Office of the Prosecutor said.
Based on the report, the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC said that the international court is now preparing for the initial appearance of former Pres. Duterte and the subsequent judicial proceedings.
The former Philippine President has arrived in The Hague. Duterte has entered The Hague Prison where he will stay while waiting for the ICC trial.