Potential ICC warrant for Sara Duterte: Imee suggests rumors could become reality
Rewritten Article:
Vice President Sara Duterte finds herself at the center of rumors about an impending arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Senator Imee Marcos during a press conference on April 29, 2025. While VP Duterte's name appears on the ICC's radar in their investigation over alleged crimes against humanity related to former President Rodrigo Duterte's (FPRRD) drug war, Marcos speculates that she could be next in line for a warrant.
"There's been a whirl of chatter for a couple of weeks now, with murmurs about a draft targeting five police officers, including Senator Ronald dela Rosa. More recently, whispers have resurfaced suggesting that the Vice President might get hit with an ICC warrant sooner rather than later...We've heard the grapevine, and while it's not yet confirmed from a credible source, these rumors can't be easily dismissed," Marcos said.
The presidential sister vowed to stand against the implementation of the warrant with everything she's got. Marcos reiterated that the ICC, in her opinion, lacks jurisdiction over the Philippines, and any warrant they issue would amount to little more than hot air. She argues that routing the warrant through the International Criminal Police Organization doesn't legitimize it, either.
"It's a well-known fact that the circumstances behind the ICC's investigation in this country, the events leading up to the issuance of these ICC warrants, and their enforcement are politically motivated and are in clear violation of Article 3 of the Constitution of the Interpol itself, which prohibits the Interpol from engaging in any political activity," Marcos explained.
On March 11, FPRRD was apprehended on the orders of the ICC over his drug war spanning from 2011 to 2019. Upon becoming president in 2016, VP Duterte took over as mayor of Davao City. Hours after FPRRD's arrest, he was promptly flown to the Netherlands and handed over to the ICC, sparking the Senate committee on foreign relations, headed by Marcos, to delve into the matter.
Some preliminary findings from the panel include:
- The Philippine government was under no legal obligation to arrest FPRRD and deliver him to the ICC, as no red notice had been issued against him by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
- The Philippine government decided to help the ICC arrest FPRRD despite no longer being a member state of the body.
- The rights of FPRRD, particularly his rights to liberty and due process, were blatantly disregarded, as the arrest was made without a warrant issued by a Philippine court and not within the exceptions to a warrantless arrest.
- FPRRD's arrest and subsequent transfer to The Hague were politically motivated.
- FPRRD's arrest was part of a larger effort to bring down the Dutertes.
The panel has also recommended that the Office of the Ombudsman look into the potential criminal and administrative liabilities of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police Chief General Rommel Marbil, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director Major General Nicolas Torre III, and Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Ambassador Markus Lacanilao in relation to FPRRD's arrest. (TPM/our website Philippines)
Sources: 1. TMP (2025). Senate panel recommends filing of raps vs officials over Duterte arrest. Retrieved from https://www.ourwebsite.ph/senate-panel-recommends-filing-of-raps-vs-officials-over-duterte-arrest/ 2. Alvarez, J. S. (2025). VP Duterte on ICC list, no warrant yet: Marcos. Retrieved from https://www.ourwebsite.ph/vp-duterte-on-icc-list-no-warrant-yet-marcos/ 3. ABS-CBN News. (2021). Ex-Duterte spokesperson claims prison cell cleaner poisoned former PNP chief Del Rosario. Retrieved from https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/04/21/ex-duterte-spokesperson-claims-prison-cell-cleaner-poisoned-former-pnp-chief-del-rosario 4. TPM (2021). Rodrigo Duterte arrested by the ICC: What you need to know. Retrieved from https://www.ourwebsite.ph/rodrigo-duterte-arrested-by-the-icc-what-you-need-to-know/ 5. Rappler (2025). Sara Duterte: I'm on the ICC list, no warrant yet.
- senator Imee Marcos mentioned a potential arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Vice President Sara Duterte, citing unverified rumors about an upcoming draft targeting five police officers, including Senator Ronald dela Rosa;
- Vice President Duterte has vowed to resist the implementation of any ICC warrant against her, stating that she believes the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the Philippines and that routing the warrant through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) does not lend it credibility;
- Marcos argued that the ICC's investigation into the Philippines, the issuance of ICC warrants, and their enforcement are politically motivated and in violation of Article 3 of the Interpol Constitution, which prohibits Interpol from engaging in political activities;
- Former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC on March 11, 2025, on charges related to his drug war spanning from 2011 to 2019, and was subsequently flown to the Netherlands and handed over to the ICC;
- The Senate committee on foreign relations, headed by Marcos, has conducted a preliminary investigation into FPRRD's arrest and found that: (1) the Philippine government was not under a legal obligation to arrest FPRRD and deliver him to the ICC; (2) the Philippine government chose to assist the ICC in arresting FPRDD despite no longer being a member state of the organization; (3) FPRDD's rights to liberty and due process were disregarded; (4) FPRDD's arrest and transfer to The Hague were politically motivated; and (5) FPRDD's arrest was part of a larger effort to bring down the Dutertes;
- The Senate panel has recommended that the Office of the Ombudsman investigate the potential criminal and administrative liabilities of several high-ranking officials in relation to FPRDD's arrest, including: Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Philippine National Police Chief General Rommel Marbil, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director Major General Nicolas Torre III, and Special Envoy on Transnational Crimes Ambassador Markus Lacanilao;
- The political news landscape in the Philippines is dominated by ongoing war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and crime-and-justice, with general-news outlets like ourwebsite.ph providing updates on the latest developments in these areas.
