Malacañang assured the public that the government will make sure that former president Rodrigo Duterte will get a fair trial as he is set to appear before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the first time on Friday, March 14.

Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said this hours before Duterte's scheduled first appearance at the ICC pre-trial chamber one on Friday evening (Manila time).

In a press briefing on Friday morning, Castro said Duterte's fate was already out of the government's hands.

"Wala po kasi tayong jurisdiction sa ano mang gagawin po ng ICC, sa kanilang mga procedures wala pong jurisdiction (We have no jurisdiction over the ICC's proceedings)," she said.

"After natin madala po ang dating pangulo wala sa ICC, wala na pong kamay o responsibilidad ang gobyerno kay dating pangulong Duterte (After we have turned the former president over to the ICC, it was already out of the government's hands)," she added.

Despite this, Castro said the government would make sure that Duterte would get a fair trial.

"Kakailanganin din po natin, ng gobyerno, na masigurado natin na nagkakaroon po ng fair trial, lalong-lalo na po Filipino ang dating Pangulo (The government must ensure that the former president would get a fair trial especially since he is a Filipino)," she said.

Duterte was arrested and turned over to the ICC through Interpol on March 11. In her Friday presser, Castro admitted that the Office of the President was the one that paid for the private plane that flew Duterte to the Netherlands.

"Ito po ay may kaugnayan sa assistance po na ibinigay natin sa Interpol (This was part of our assistance to Interpol)," she explained.

"Kung wala naman po na ipo-provide na sasakyan para madala ang dating pangulo sa ICC, ay parang hindi rin naging kumpleto ang pagtugon natin sa ating commitment to the Interpol (If we did not provide the aircraft to bring the former president to the ICC, then we have not fully complied with our commitment to Interpol)," she said.

Castro, however, did not disclose how much the government spent for the aircraft.

"Wala po tayong kumpletong detalye about that. Maaari po siguro hindi ko agad masasabi, kung meron man, dahil meron pong kaugnayan ito sa isang pribadong korporasyon (We have no details regarding that but even so, I don't think I can divulge it because a private company is involved)," she said.