ICC must consult Philippines courts to enforce warrant – Remulla

MANILA, Philippines — If the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant and the International  Criminal Police Organization is tasked with enforcing it in the Philippines, Interpol must consult with Philippine courts before taking any action, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday.

During yesterday’s budget hearing of the Senate committee on finance on the Department of Justice (DOJ) for 2025, chairperson Sen. Grace Poe asked Remulla whether the ICC can investigate under the radar and authorities may monitor it.

“When it comes to them (ICC and Interpol) going to the country, if they want to execute a warrant that the ICC has come up with… they have to go through the (Philippine) court system. They have to take action to enforce a warrant (and) a judgment in our court system,” Remulla said.

He added the Supreme Court (SC) is supposed to determine whether the Philippines is still under ICC’s jurisdiction even after the country withdrew in 2019.

The DOJ will also not interfere with the international bodies’ operations if they want to chase the accused person but reiterated they need to consult a Philippine court first before doing so, according to Remulla.

He noted that Philippine authorities cannot prevent the ICC from interviewing witnesses in the Philippines, which can be done through a video call.

“(It is) so easy for them to go on a Zoom video call with all of these witnesses in this country. We cannot stop them from doing that (because the) freedom of communication is paramount,” he said.

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who is one of the respondents of the ICC’s investigation on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, is happy to know that the international court’s warrant will still be sent to the local courts.

“It’s a very good great development if that’s what he says. I am happy that they are defending our turf and our sovereignty and jurisdiction,” he said.

Remulla also said if the United Nations Human Rights Commission could provide evidence of extrajudicial killings, the DOJ itself could investigate it.