MANILA – Former President Rodrigo Duterte does not possess any assets that can be frozen by either the International Criminal Court (ICC) or the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
According to Duterte’s former spokesperson, Atty. Salvador Panelo, aside from the former Chief Executive being “dirt poor”, there is no legal basis for the ICC or AMLC to freeze his assets.
Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Tuesday that it will let the AMLC exercise its authority on possible requests from the ICC to freeze the assets of former president Duterte.
“Kung ito po ay magkakaroon man ng issue or magbibigay ng order ang ICC ituturo po natin, ibibigay po natin ito sa AMLC kung kinakailangan po,” Castro said in a media briefing at the Malacañang Palace.
“If there’s a need for that, ang AMLC walang sini-sino. So, kung kinakailangan po para po mabigyan ng reparation, damages kung sinuman ang masasabing nabiktima then kailangan pong ibigay ang hustisya,” she added.
Under Article 93(1)(k) of the Rome Statute, States Parties are obligated to comply with an ICC request to identify, trace, freeze or seize proceeds, property and assets, and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, in relation to investigations or prosecutions.
Duterte is currently in the ICC detention center in The Hague, Netherlands, following the implementation of an arrest order against him on March 11 in the context of the international chamber’s ongoing investigation into the Philippines’ drug war.
Duterte is allegedly criminally liable for the crime against humanity of murder committed in the Philippines between Nov. 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019 due to the war on illegal drugs waged when he was the Davao City mayor and later the country’s president./PN
