Philippines to 'respond favourably' if ICC seeks Interpol arrest warrants

24/1/2025 15:38

The Philippines will respond favourably if Interpol is asked by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants related to its probe into the former president's bloody "war on drugs", a top official said on Friday.



Thousands of people were killed in ex-President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drugs crackdown launched in 2016, many in mysterious circumstances, prompting the ICC to launch an investigation into possible crimes against humanity.



Duterte and police have denied activists' allegations of systematic executions and cover-ups and say drug suspects were killed in self defence.



"If the ICC makes a move, and courses the move through the Interpol, and the Interpol makes the request to us for the arrest of delivery of the custody of a person subject to ICC jurisdiction, we will respond favourably or positively to the Interpol request," said Lucas P. Bersamin, the executive secretary of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.



He was speaking in a media briefing following remarks by the justice minister in a Reuters interview on Thursday on the extent of the Philippines' cooperation with the ICC, with which he said talks would start soon.