Malacañang denied Thursday that the Marcos administration was using the International Criminal Court (ICC) to target political opponents.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the statement after Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte accused the administration of weaponizing the ICC.
Duterte made the claim following unconfirmed reports that arrest warrants had been issued against Sen. Bong Go and two former police officials.
Castro said the ICC case involved alleged abuses tied to extrajudicial killings and was filed by Filipinos seeking accountability.
She said the case was filed in 2017, long before the current political dispute, and should not be blamed on the Marcos administration.
Castro also said any valid ICC warrant would have to be treated as a legal matter involving persons who may be held accountable before the court.
She noted that Philippine law allows the surrender of respondents to an international court, citing the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
In a social media post, Duterte accused the administration of using government agencies to silence political rivals and divert attention from corruption issues involving public funds.
