MANILA — Lawyer Kristina Conti clarified that the United States' sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) will not hamper the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte over deaths in his administration's drug war.
The ICC-accredited assistant to counsel refuted rumors that the ICC will release Duterte from detention in The Hague in the Netherlands due to pressure from US President Donald Trump.
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"The court is not supported by money from the US, and none of its physical facilities are hosted by or in the US," Conti said in a statement on Sunday.
"The ICC is a consent- and rules-based tribunal that forwards one of the foundations of the international legal order: there must be accountability for grave crimes. It cannot bow down to the wishes of the few, and more so, to the whims of the small-minded," she also said.
Conti cited that Duterte's case was brought to the court’s attention by many entities, including the families of victims of the “war on drugs”.
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"We see no direct risk of the sanctions to the proceedings, as the Duterte case moves on to trial stage by 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," she said.
She added withdrawal from the court as Trump has called on its 125 member countries to do would only take effect a year after formal notice.
"Dismantling the ICC only benefits the tyrants, mass murderers, and war criminals," she also said.
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Duterte is being tried by the ICC due to crimes against humanity for his bloody war on drugs.
Aside from Duterte, the ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, who was national police chief when the bloody anti-drug campaign was launched.