Dwayne Pelagio

The Philippines will cooperate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) if it issues a red notice to former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Photo Courtesy of House of Representatives.

Malacanang announced this through a statement on Nov. 13 following the former chief executive’s dare to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to travel to the country for its investigation into the past administration’s alleged irregularities in its drug war.

"If the ICC refers the process to the Interpol, which may then transmit a red notice to the Philippine authorities, the government will feel obliged to consider the red notice as a request to be honored," Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told reporters despite the country’s policy to stay out of the ICC.

Bersamin also stated that domestic law enforcement agencies shall be bound to accord full cooperation to the Interpol pursuant to established protocols.

"If the former President desires to surrender himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC, the government will neither object to it nor move to block the fulfillment of his desire," Bersamin said in his statement.

A red notice is a request by Interpol to law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

According to government data, more than 6,200 people were killed in anti-drug operations under Duterte. 

The former president said on the Nov. 13 House hearing regarding his administration’s drug war that the ICC does not scare him and they can come into the country anytime.

"Ang sinabi ko, ang ginawa ko, I did it for my country and for the young people, no excuses, no apology. I got to hell, so be it,” Duterte said in the lower chamber’s hearing.