Metro Manila, Philippines – The International Criminal Court (ICC) defended its independence after Vice President Sara Duterte accused the tribunal as a “lapdog” of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in its prosecution of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“The International Criminal Court will not comment on these statements,” ICC spokesperson Orianne Maillet said in a statement on Thursday, July 30. “The ICC is an international judicial institution which carries out its mandate independently and impartially, in accordance with its founding treaty, the Rome Statute.”
Duterte told supporters in The Hague on Wednesday that Marcos and Trillanes had helped the ICC pursue its case against her father.
She said former employees of fugitive ex-Rep. Zaldy Co had executed affidavits that stated they were instructed to exchange pesos into dollars that would be delivered to ICC investigators through Trillanes.
She then asked supporters how Marcos and Trillanes should be characterized in relation to the ICC case. After the crowd responded “traitor,” Duterte agreed.
“Yes, they are traitors to a Filipino and to the country,” she said.
The vice president also accused the ICC of serving the interests of Marcos and Trillanes instead of acting independently.
“But more than that, ang ICC ay tuta ni Trillanes at ni Marcos,” she said.
[Translation: But more than that, the ICC is a lapdog of Trillanes and Marcos.]
Duterte said the case against her father was politically motivated.
“This is not about justice. This is about politics in the Philippines,” she said.
She also cited the ICC investigations involving Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and the court’s arrest warrant against lawyer Harry Roque, claiming they reflected a broader pattern targeting personalities allied with the former president.
Duterte is facing charges of crimes against humanity for murder before the ICC over killings linked to his anti-drug campaign. He will face trial on November 30.
