President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. maintained his position on the planned investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on the Duterte government’s war on drugs, saying the current administration will not allow the ICC to conduct a probe within the Philippines.

In a media interview Saturday after attending the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming at Fort Del Pilar, Baguio City, the President said his position has not changed regarding ICC’s plan to investigate former President Rodrigo Duterte over his war on drugs.

“My position hasn’t changed and I have stated it often even before I took office as President that there are many questions about their jurisdiction and what we in the Philippines regard as an intrusion into our internal matters and a threat to our sovereignty,” the chief executive told reporters.

“So no, I do not see what their jurisdiction is. I feel that we have in our police, in our judiciary, a good system. We do not need assistance from any outside entity,” the President pointed out.

The President said the Philippines is a sovereign nation and no longer a colony of foreign powers so that is not something that the country considers to be a “legitimate judgment”.

“So until those questions of jurisdiction and the effects on the sovereignty of the Republic are sufficiently answered, I cannot cooperate with them,” President Marcos noted.

The ICC authorized last January the resumption of its investigation into the Duterte administration’s drug war.

It claimed it was “not satisfied that the Philippines is undertaking relevant investigations”, warranting a deferral of the court’s investigations. (PND)