The procedure used in the arrest of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte last March 11 will also be used in the arrest of other Filipinos who may be subjected to arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix L. Ty said on Thursday, March 13.
Duterte was arrested by Philippine law enforcers last March 11 on request made by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in which the Philippines is a member, Ty said during a briefing in Malacanang.
“Kung sakaling lumabas man, ayaw naman natin pangunahan ‘yung ICC, meron na tayong modelo kung paano natin ipapatupad ‘yung warrant of arrest laban sa kung sino man akusado po na magkakaroon ng warrant of arrest (If other arrest warrants be released, I don’t want to preempt the ICC, we already have a model on how to implement them to whoever will be the subject of the arrest warrants),” Ty said.
He noted that the warrant of arrest against Duterte indicated that " ang ICC may mga other individuals na iniimbestigahan (the ICC has been investigating other individuals).”
“Abangan na lang natin kung maglalabas ng warrant of arrest laban sa kanila (Let’s just wait if warrants of arrest be issued against them),” he said.
Though the Philippines is no longer under the jurisdiction of the ICC due to the withdrawal from Rome Statute that created the international tribunal, Ty reminded that the Philippine government implemented the arrest warrant as a member of the Interpol.
Apart from this, Ty said the government enforced Republic Act (RA) No. 9851, the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
“Kung titingnan ninyo ang batas na ito halos katambas ito ng Rome Statute (If you look at the law it is similar to the Rome Statute),” he said.
He explained that RA 9851 punishes those who committed violations of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) including crimes against humanity.
Under the law, he said “pwede n’ya imbestigahin at iprosecute ang mga krimen dito sa IHL tulad ng crimes against humanity or pwede n’ya ipaubaya sa ibang foreign tribunal kung meron ng kasong nangyayari (the Philippines can investigate and prosecute IHL offenses like crimes against humanity or let a foreign tribunal do it if there is already a pending case).”
“At kung ipapaubaya niya sa ibang korte ang pwede niya gawin ay pwede niya ideliver o isurrender ‘yung akusado doon sa korte na ‘yun (And if we choose to let a foreign court do it then the Philippines can deliver or surrender the accused),” he also said.