By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
The Palace has reiterated that the Marcos Jr. administration has no involvement in the International Criminal Court (ICC) case of former President Rodrigo Duterte, on the heels of the international tribunal’s denial of granting the ex-President’s request for an interim release.
At the Malacañang press briefing on Monday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro reaffirmed the government’s respect to the ICC’s decision on the case of former President Duterte, letting the lawyers and parties involved exercise their judgments and perform the appropriate action on the matter.
Castro said, refuting Davao 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte’s remarks on ICC’s recent moves on his father’s case, ”Hindi po dapat tayo mabuhay sa mga pagbabanta. Kayo po ay nasa sinasabing civilized society, at wala po tayo sa isang barbaric world. So dapat po tayo tumugon, kung ano po ang rule of law, at hindi po tayo dapat natatakot o lagi na lamang nabubuhay sa pananakot.”
A recent survey by SWS shows that 50% of Filipinos agree that former President Duterte should be held accountable for the extrajudicial killings and the bloody war on drugs under his administration.
The Palace mouthpiece, meanwhile, fired back at Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks regarding the appointment of Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as the country’s 7th Ombudsman, noting that the country’s second-highest government official is “detached from reality”.
“Nagkataon po hindi siya ang Presidente, so mahirap po sagutin ang isang pangarap na hindi mangyayari sa ngayon.”
Castro reinforced the argument by noting the Chief Executive’s launch of the ongoing probe into ‘ghost’ and anomalous flood control projects, including lapses in other government public works, with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) leading the charge in pursuit of the truth behind this pressing national concern.
“The President thinks well—knows better. At alam din po natin na ang Pangulo ang nag-umpisa para labanan ang korapsyon, at hindi po niya hahayaan na matolerate o kampihan o depensahan ang gumagawa ng pagnanakaw ng pondo ng bayan.”
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