President Duterte arrives for a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in this May 15, 2017, file photo.
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said the case filed by two former government officials against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court (ICC) would not affect Philippine-China relations.
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales filed a case against Xi before the ICC, saying the “atrocious actions of Chinese officials in the South China Sea and within Philippine territory’’ constitute crimes against humanity that ICC can prosecute.
READ: BREAKING: Duterte says ICC case vs Xi won’t affect PH-China relations
“Well, I said they are entitled to file the case,” Duterte said in an ambush interview after the 122nd Philippine Army event in Taguig, City.
Asked if the case would affect ties between the Philippines and China, Duterte said: “No, I’m sure it won’t.”
“The Philippines is a democratic country and anybody can bring a suit against anybody but whether or not it would prosper, or whether or not we have the jurisdiction, that’s something else,” he said.
“Remember, China is not a member of the ICC,” he added. /kga