No talks yet on Philippines rejoining ICC, says Palace

The entrance of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is seen in The Hague March 3, 2011. REUTERS FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — There has been no discussion yet on whether the Philippines will rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro.

During a Palace briefing, Castro was asked if the country would rejoin the ICC following the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday.

“As of now, there’s no discussion on that. We will just cross the bridge when we get there,” Castro responded.

READ: Palace confirms arrest warrant from ICC for Rodrigo Duterte

In 2018, then President Duterte announced the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute, which is the treaty that established the ICC.

However, the treaty states that the withdrawal shall only take effect “one year after the date of receipt of the notification.”

This move was seen as his move to avoid accountability for the drug war killings.

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