Palace to ICC: Duterte is waging war on brutal enemy

It would be “deeply disappointing” if the International Criminal Court (ICC) would believe the testimonies of self-confessed murderers, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“You know, it would really be deeply disappointing if the court took the word of admitted murderer as the basis for action against the head of state who was democratically elected by a Filipino electorate that wants nothing more than an end to an epidemic that has afflicted millions of our countrymen and women that has been responsible for a crime wave that has been terrorizing many parts of our country for decades,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a Palace briefing.

On Monday, lawyer Jude Josue Sabio, counsel of hitman Edgar Matobato, filed crimes against humanity charges against President Duterte and 11 of his allies in the ICC in The Hague over the killings of suspected criminals when he was mayor of Davao City and thousands of drug suspects in his bloody war on drugs.

Despite this, Abella believed the case would not prosper.

“As far as we can see, it has no basis for prospering,” he said.

CRIMINAL CASE Jude Josue Sabio (right), lawyer for confessed hit man Edgar Matobato (left), files a 77-page criminal complaint against President Duterte and 11 others in the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Palace official said Duterte was “committed to winning this war against drugs” despite criticisms.

“We need to understand that the President is waging a war on a brutal enemy, the drug dealers and drug lords who prey upon our people. That is a war that has seen criminals prosper and millions of people addicted to drugs,” he said.

“The related social and financial drain on our country has been immeasurable. It is for this reason that the President is committed to winning this war against drugs and why he is heartened by the efforts of everyone in law enforcement, in national and local government, in public health, are already delivering results that can be felt in all corners of our nation,” he added.

Abella questioned the timing of the filing of charges against Duterte, saying it was “meant to create negative news in the midst of the Philippines Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) debut.”