Malacañang Speaks on Stand of Pres. Bongbong Marcos over PH Rejoining ICC
BONGBONG MARCOS – Malacañang said the stance of the President on rejoining the International Criminal Court (ICC) has not changed.
The Philippines was no longer a member of the Rome Statute when former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was arrested due to a report arrest warrant. The former President remains detained under the custody of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands since March 2025.
Pres. Bongbong Marcos and the Philippine government were heavily blamed over the arrest and the transfer of custody of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Previously, the Palace claimed that Marcos Jr. allegedly did not commit betrayal and the government only acted on its commitment with the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol.
Amid the almost year-long detention of their father, Davao Mayor Baste Duterte stressed that their family and even former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte are prepared for any result with regards to his ICC case. Amid the detention of the former President, his children are taking turns visiting him inside the ICC detention facility in The Hague.
The confirmation of charges was recently held from February 23 to February 27. Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte skipped the hearing. He was represented by his lead counsel, British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, at the hearing.
Prior to the confirmation of charges, six (6) Filipino lawyers were added to Duterte’s ICC legal team. Among them are former Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, former presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo, and former Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III.
Recently, Malacañang spoke on the stand of Pres. Bongbong Marcos amid the ongoing ICC detention of his predecessor, former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, the Palace claimed that the previous stand of the Chief Executive remains.
“Hindi nagbabago ‘yung stance ng Pangulo – hindi pa rin po tayo ngayon magre-rejoin sa ICC,” Palace press officer Atty. Claire Castro said.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, when asked why Pres. Bongbong Marcos is still uninterested over the Philippines rejoining the ICC, the Malacañang Undersecretary did not further explain. She was asked during a press briefing in New York on the sidelines on the sidelines of the President’s two-day working visit.
“‘Yan lang ang binitawan sa akin na salita ng Pangulo,” Castro said based on the report.
Amid the U.S.-Iran conflict, Marcos Jr. went to New York and part of his schedule is a meeting with a U.N. official over the escalating tension in the Middle East.