By Quian Vencel Galut

PHOTO: Reuters

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier, has said that there is no chance that he will face the International Criminal Court alive: “I will never go there alive.”

"Alam niyo kung gusto niyo talaga akong...it's over my dead body. Makuha niyo ako, dalhin niyo ako sa Netherlands, patay. You will have a carcass. Hindi ako pupunta doon ng buhay," Duterte stated on Monday during his address to the nation.


During his address while presenting information about the recent anti-drug operations in the country, Duterte changed the topic into human rights activists, he said, they are only focused on the list of the killed criminals.

"Anong problema nitong human rights?... At ‘yung mga listahan sa mga pinatay, bakit listahan lang sa mga pinatay na kriminal? Sagutin nga ninyo ako diyan," he said.

The ICC said last month that it had started a preliminary investigation to establish whether it had jurisdiction, and if crimes against humanity had been committed.


Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque stated that the country cannot be forced to cooperate with the investigation of ICC into the Duterte administration's war on drugs, despite there’s a release upon the Supreme Court ruling. 

The United States was also warned to be careful, pointing out that there are authorities there who are guilty of human rights violations as well.

“They are Americans. In the same way we don't want anybody interfering with the Philippine Congress's actions, we will not interfere with theirs,” Roque said in a televised briefing on Monday.


Report sources: CNN Philippines, CNN