Malacañang denied allegations that the administration is using the International Criminal Court (ICC) case as a diversion from a reported flood control corruption controversy.
The response came after PDP-Laban accused the Marcos administration of allowing the country’s sovereignty to be undermined and deliberately linking Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Sen. Bong Go as co-perpetrators in the ICC case tied to the previous administration’s war on drugs.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the ICC case could not be considered a diversion because it was filed long before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office.
Castro said the current government has no influence over ICC processes and that any findings or actions by the court should not be attributed to the administration. She stressed that the ICC operates independently and that its proceedings began prior to the present government.
The Palace also noted that reports on alleged issues in the implementation of the war on drugs had surfaced even before the current administration took power.
Castro cited a past statement by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who earlier said he had observed alleged irregularities in some anti-drug operations.
Malacañang maintained that the ICC case is not being used to divert public attention from any controversy and reiterated that the matter is outside the control of the present administration.
