This file photo shows the facade of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. (Courtesy: ICC)
The sanctions imposed by the U.S. government on the International Criminal Court (ICC) will not hinder the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte, according to the counsels of human rights advocates.
In a joint statement on Sunday, lawyers Neri Colmenares and Kristina Conti clarified the matter amid circulating rumors.
“The Duterte case and the Philippine situation were brought to the court’s attention by many entities, including the very victims of the ‘war on drugs.’ The investigation and case were vetted vigorously under the court’s systems and protocols,” the statement read in part.
“We see no direct risk of the sanctions to the proceedings, as the Duterte case moves on to the trial stage by the end of November 2026. Even if the decision on Duterte’s fitness to stand trial is still pending, the trial chamber has confirmed that Duterte must be kept in detention,” it added.
Colmenares and Conti serve as counsels for Rise Up for Life and for Rights (Rise Up), an advocacy network representing drug war victims.
They claimed that the international court will not automatically release the former president due to pressure, noting that it is not supported by U.S. money.
Additionally, they said that none of the ICC’s physical facilities are hosted by or located in the U.S.
According to them, there is indirect danger if the measures paralyze operations involving institutional or personal transactions, as officials already have serious issues with finances and communications.
Likewise, the lawyers explained that the withdrawal from the court by any or all of the 125 member countries will take effect only after a year of formal notice.
“Duterte’s case will be sooner resolved than the court dissolved. We urge the state parties and even non-state parties of the ICC to use ‘blocking statutes’ to obstruct the extraterritorial effects of unreasonable foreign legislation,” the counsels said.