THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is ready should it be called upon by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for the possible arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a press conference on Thursday, November 14, 2024, PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Jean Fajardo said the PNP is bound by an agreement to assist its international counterparts in effecting arrest orders against law violators.
She cited the arrest of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and expelled Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo Teves in Indonesia and Timor Leste, respectively, with the help of the local police.
Teves has a standing arrest warrant over the brazen killing of former Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo in March 2023, which also resulted in the killing of 10 innocent civilians.
He is also facing murder charges in relation to the killing of three individuals in the province in 2019, including Miguel Dungog, a former board member of Negros Oriental.
He was arrested in Timor Leste on March 21, a month after he was placed on the red notice of the Interpol upon the request of the Department of Justice.
“No less than the former president has clearly stated na he will submit himself to the jurisdiction of ICC (International Criminal Court). So, personal niya itong take so kung meron man lalabas na warrant of arrest, at ang Interpol ay hihingi ng assistance sa atin. Then, like I said, the PNP is bound by the security protocol with respect to assistance to be provided with our foreign counterparts,” said Fajardo.
(No less than the former president has clearly stated that he will submit himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC. So, this is his personal stance, and if a warrant of arrest is issued, and if Interpol requests assistance from us, then, as I mentioned, the PNP is bound by security protocols regarding the assistance to be provided to our foreign counterparts.)
“’Yung mechanism naman in terms of security assistance ay nandiyan naman. Hindi kailangan paghandaan dahil gumagana na itong mechanism na ito. This will not be the first time for the PNP to extend assistance to our foreign counterparts in terms of arresting ‘yung individual subject, particularly ‘yung mga red notices being issued by the Interpol. So, when the time comes na isi-seek ‘yung ating assistance and the PNP is ready to provide the necessary assistance,” she added.
(The mechanism for security assistance is already in place. There's no need to prepare for it because this mechanism is already functioning. This will not be the first time the PNP has extended assistance to our foreign counterparts in terms of arresting individuals subject to arrest, particularly those under red notices issued by Interpol. So, when the time comes that our assistance is sought, the PNP is ready to provide the necessary support.)
During a House quad-committee investigation on Wednesday, November 13, Duterte changed his tune and urged the ICC to expedite its ongoing investigation into the alleged crime against humanity of murder in the country during the implementation of his war on illegal drugs, which led to the deaths of over 6,000 alleged drug personalities.
Duterte said the ICC probe has been stalled for quite some time and expressed concern that he might die before the investigation progresses.
Earlier, Duterte said he does not recognize the ICC, from which he ordered the withdrawal of the Philippines' membership in 2019.
In 2021, the ICC launched an investigation into the alleged crime against humanity of murder in the Philippines, related to Duterte's controversial drug war, which took place from November 1, 2016 to March 16, 2019.
Duterte was the mayor of Davao City from 2011 until he was elected President of the Republic in 2016.
In January, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he had obtained information that ICC investigators had gathered enough evidence against Duterte, and that an arrest warrant could be issued "very, very soon." (TPM/SunStar Philippines)