PH not rejoining ICC—Palace
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has not changed his position about the Philippines rejoining the International Criminal Court.
According to Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, Marcos remains firm, for now, about the Philippines not becoming an ICC member country again.
"Hindi nagbabago 'yung stance ng pangulo. Hindi pa rin po tayo ngayon magre-rejoin sa ICC," said Castro in an ambush media interview on March 10 in New York City.
When prodded for the president's reason, Castro said, "'Yan lang ang binitawan sa akin na salita ng pangulo."
Castro is part of Marcos' entourage during his two-day working trip to New York City from March 9 to 10. The president is in the city to attend a series of engagements at the United Nations.
Marcos previously shared the same decision on Aug. 1, 2022.
In a media interview, he said the country "has no intention" of rejoining the ICC, even as the international court was seeking the government's cooperation in its investigation of the Duterte administration's alleged "war on drugs."
The Philippines officially withdrew from the ICC on March 17, 2019, one year after the government notified the UN of its intentions. According to a report by the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, filed on March 15, 2019, former president Rodrigo Duterte announced the country's withdrawal from the ICC one month after ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in the Philippines.
"A withdrawal has no impact on on-going proceedings or any matter which was already under consideration by the Court prior to the date on which the withdrawal became effective," wrote the Coalition.
The alleged crimes being investigated were committed in the country between Nov. 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, while the Philippines was still a member country of the ICC.
Duterte has been detained in The Hague since his arrest on March 11, 2025. He is currently awaiting the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber's decision on whether or not his case will continue on to a full trial. The announcement is expected to be handed out within 60 days of Feb. 27, the last day of Duterte's confirmation of charges hearing.
