A former senator predicts that a warrant for the arrest of the former president and others linked to an international investigation will be issued by June. The warrant may be delivered through Interpol, despite the country no longer being a member of the International Criminal Court. The former senator also mentioned that the ICC has a cooperation agreement with Interpol, allowing them to pass a red notice.
The warrants are expected to be issued in batches, with the first batch targeting the former president and subsequent batches focusing on other officials under investigation, including a current senator and former police chief. The former senator claimed that some personnel from the Philippine National Police have already cooperated with the ICC probe, implicating the former president in extrajudicial killings related to the drug war.
The intensified anti-drug campaign led by the former president reportedly resulted in thousands of deaths, with conflicting estimates from government records and human rights organizations. The current president has reiterated that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the previous administration’s drug war, a view supported by the Department of Justice. The DOJ also stated that individuals who cooperate with the ICC will be held accountable.
If an arrest warrant is issued by the ICC, execution can only happen through Philippine law enforcement agencies. The Solicitor General emphasized that without Philippine government cooperation, the ICC warrants cannot be implemented in the country. The Department of Justice has yet to comment on the former senator’s statements.
