Q: Sir, with the former President Duterte’s challenge to the ICC [unclear] and start the investigation on him regarding the war on drugs. Will that change your view and [unclear] rejoining the ICC?
PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS JR.: Well, as the comment of the Executive Secretary, the former Chief Justice, if ‘yun ang gugustuhin ni PRRD ay hindi naman kami haharang doon sa mga ICC. Hindi lang kami tutulong. Ngunit kung pumapayag siya na makipag-usap siya o magpa-imbestiga siya sa ICC ay nasa kanya ‘yun. Wala na kaming desisyon doon.
All right?
Q: Sir, with all the admissions, don’t you think the DOJ should also initiate a reinvestigation of drug-related murders during the previous administration’s term?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, it’s – right now, that is being done by the PNP. And so, we are looking – we’re waiting for their findings.
But you know, all of the testimony that was given yesterday really – will be taken in and will be assessed to see what – in legal terms, what is the real meaning and consequence of some of the statements made by PRRD.
Now, if that will result in a case being filed here in the Philippines, we will just have to see. The DOJ will have to make that assessment.
Q: Have you made instructions to the DOJ or to the PNP to conduct this investigation, sir?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, we are always monitoring all of these things because the question on EJK has not yet been answered. Who has been – who is responsible.
And we had – some of them – the mothers of some of the victims that were there, and up to now, they have not seen the justice for the murders of their children. And that still…
So that – that is the DOJ’s responsibility to continue to examine all bits of comments, of statements, of testimony, and eventually of evidence, to see that is a – that justifies a case to be filed.
Q: Sir, after ng signing mo ng dalawang bagong batas, ‘yung Maritime at Archipelagic, ipinatawag ‘yung Philippine Ambassador ng China. Nag-report na po ba siya sa inyo? Ano po ang inyong marching order sa kanya?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oo, wala naman. Ang sinasabi nila ino-object-kan nila. Sinasabi nila that we do not agree and you will – that they will continue to protect what they defined as their sovereign territory. Of course, we do not agree with their definition of sovereign territory.
So, wala naman pinagbago dahil ganoon pa rin ang sitwasyon natin. Ganoon pa rin ang position natin.
Q: Sir, you have always been adamant na hindi niyo kinikilala ang jurisdiction ng ICC. We will not cooperate with them in any way, shape, or form. Pero ‘yung statement po ni ES, ang net effect po nun is that we will ultimately cooperate with the ICC lalo kung dinaan daw po nila sa Interpol. Was that a change of position from the administration?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, no, no, no, no, you have misread it. We do not cooperate with the ICC. That is the position of this government.
Q: Pero ‘pag ni-red notice po ng the Interpol, we will be obliged to participate?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: As Secretary Remulla explained before, we have obligations to Interpol and we have to live up to those obligations.
Q: And therefore, the net effect, ganoon din po? Masasailalim din po si Pangulong Duterte sa ICC?
PRESIDENT MARCOS: We’ll see – we’ll see how far it goes. We’ll see what the ICC does.
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