Palace: Paying for Duterte chartered plane part of PH duty to Interpol
A plane carrying former President Rodrigo Duterte prepares to leave at the Villamor Air Base in Manila, Philippines, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
MANILA, Philippines — Palace on Friday confirmed that the Office of the President paid for the chartered plane that brought former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague in the Netherlands, saying it was part of the administration’s commitment to comply with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed this during a Palace news briefing.
READ: President’s office paid for plane that took Duterte to The Hague – Remulla
“Opo, ina-admit po na ang Palasyo po ang nagbayad, ang gobyerno po. Ito po ay may kaugnayan sa assistance po na ibinigay natin sa Interpol,” she said.
(Yes, Palace is admitting that the government paid for it. This is related to the assistance we provided to Interpol.)
“Sabi nga natin kapag hiningi po ng assistance ay dapat po kumpleto po dahil kung wala naman pong ipo-provide na sasakyan para mandala po ang dating pangulo sa ICC [International Criminal Court], ay parang hindi rin po naging kumpleto ang pagtugon natin sa ating commitment sa Interpol,” Castro added.
(As we said, when assistance is requested, it should be complete because if no vehicle is provided to transport the former president to the ICC, then our response to our commitment to Interpol would not be complete.)
In an address last Tuesday, the same day Duterte was arrested and flown to The Hague, Netherlands, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reaffirmed that the arrest was in compliance with Interpol.
“Interpol asked for help, and we obliged because we have commitments to the Interpol which we have to fulfill. If we don’t do that, they will not – they will no longer help us with other cases involving Filipino fugitives abroad,” Marcos said.
“This is what the international community expects of us as the leader of a democratic country that is part of the community of nations,” he added.
Duterte was arrested under an ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity during his administration’s war on drugs.
He is scheduled to make his first appearance before the ICC in the Hague on Friday before Pre-Trial Chamber I.
