The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) move to issue an warrant of arrest against former president Rodrigo Duterte is an affront to the country’s sovereignty, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go said.

“As I have reiterated before, the ICC should not interfere with our domestic affairs. And that is because, aside from the fact that we are no longer a member of the ICC, our domestic courts remain fully operational and independent,” Go, an ally of the former leader, said in a statement.

“Katunayan, merong mga kasong naisampa na. May mga imbestigasyong isinagawa din ang Executive at Kongreso. Sabi nga ng dating pangulo, handa naman siyang harapin ang anumang asunto laban sa kanya basta kapwa niya Pilipino ang maghuhusga sa kanya (In fact, cases have already been filed. There have also been investigations conducted by the Executive and Congress. The former president said that he is ready to face any case against him as long as his fellow Filipinos will judge him),” the reelectionist senator added.

“Long gone were the days when foreigners had to dictate how we run our internal affairs. Filipinos should be judged by fellow Filipinos before the Philippine courts operating under Philippine laws,” he stressed.

Go, who served as special assistant to the president during the Duterte administration, said they are now leaving it up to the former president’s legal team to file the appropriate legal remedies before the Supreme Court.

“At bilang matagal na nanilbihan sa dating pangulo, ipinangako ko sa kanya na hinding-hindi ko siya pababayaan, lalo na pagdating sa kanyang kalusugan (And as someone who served the former president for a long time, I promised him that I would never abandon him, especially when it came to his health),” he said.

In just a few days, Go said the former president will turn 80 years old and he is also suffering from many ailments that come with age. Moreover, he said Duterte is supposedly scheduled for admission to the hospital tomorrow, March 12.

Go also said Duterte’s glucose level shot up at around 3 p.m. and he was again advised admission by his doctor to avoid acute diabetes complication.

“Umaapela ako sa awtoridad na pangalagaan ang kanyang katayuan, unahin ang kanyang kalusugan, at ipagdasal natin ang kanyang kaligtasan (I appeal to the authorities to protect his status, prioritize his health, and let us pray for his safety). Constitutional right naman po yan ng bawat Pilipino to get proper medical attention when needed,” he stressed.

The senatorial candidate insisted that the former president is duty-bound to act on his mandate when he launched an all-out war against illegal drugs for the benefit of the Filipinos.

“At sa ating mga kababayan, umaapela ako na maging mahinahon tayo. Ayaw nating magkagulo dahil ang kawawa dito ay ang mga Pilipino (And to our countrymen, I appeal to us to be calm. We do not want to cause trouble because the unfortunate ones here are the Filipinos),” he pointed out.

“Hayaan natin ang mga legal na proseso na gumulong, basta kung ano lang ang tama at legal ayon sa mga batas ng Pilipinas (Let the legal processes roll, as long as it is what is right and legal according to the laws of the Philippines),” he stressed.