Philippines says it will cooperate if ICC seeks Duterte’s custody over drug killings

# Philippines says it will cooperate if ICC seeks Duterte’s custody over drug killings

The Philippine government says its law enforcement agencies would be bound to cooperate if the International Criminal Court seeks custody of former president Rodrigo Duterte, opening the door to a possible confrontation between domestic authorities, the global court and one of the country’s most polarizing political figures.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the government would not block Duterte if he chose to surrender himself to the ICC, but added that if the court instead referred the process through Interpol, Philippine authorities would treat a red notice as a request to be honored and would provide full cooperation under established protocols. His comments came as Duterte faced intense questioning in a televised congressional inquiry into the anti-drug campaign that defined his presidency.

The ICC has been investigating thousands of deaths linked to Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs, which human rights groups say may have killed more than 20,000 people during his presidency alone. The probe also covers alleged killings while Duterte was mayor of Davao. The court has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member, even though Duterte withdrew the country from the ICC in 2019.

Duterte, now 79, gave conflicting answers during the hearing about whether he would submit to the investigation. At one point he said the ICC did not scare him and told it to come to the Philippines. Later, he suggested he would physically attack any ICC investigator who confronted him. He also repeated a vow to take responsibility for police actions during the drug war, while denying involvement when questioned about specific killings.

The exchange matters because it shows the legal and political risks still surrounding Duterte’s legacy. The anti-drug campaign was once the core of his political brand, praised by supporters as tough on crime and condemned by critics as a campaign of extrajudicial killings. That record has continued to follow him even after leaving office.

The current administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has not said it plans to rejoin the ICC, leaving the Philippines in a complicated position. On one hand, it is no longer a member state. On the other, the government is signaling that it may still honor international police requests and cooperate with a custody effort if the ICC proceeds through the proper channels.

The hearing also offered a reminder that the issue remains politically volatile at home. Duterte’s forceful tone, and the government’s careful but explicit language about cooperation, place the next step in the hands of the ICC and Interpol. Whether that produces a formal arrest request or simply deepens the legal uncertainty, the Philippine state has now said publicly that it would not stand in the way.

That statement is likely to be read both as a warning and as a sign of institutional pressure around Duterte’s case. For supporters, it may look like the state is edging toward surrendering a former president to foreign justice. For critics, it is a long-delayed acknowledgment that the machinery of accountability is finally moving.