President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has threatened to arrest the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor if she visits the Philippines to probe his war on drugs.
Last month, the president revoked the country’s membership of the court, saying the treaty that established the court’s jurisdiction in 2011 had not been properly published in a government or commercial publication.
Speaking at a press briefing in Davao City today Friday, he said: “So you, Ms Fatou [ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda], ‘do not come here, because I will bar you. Not because I am afraid of you, I said, because you will never have jurisdiction over my person, not in a million years.
“You cannot exercise any proceedings here without basis. That is illegal and I will arrest you.”
The president added that he was not afraid of an investigation but “you can never call me to the ICC simply because your position is flawed”.
“It cannot be corrected anymore. So stop your nonsense,” he said.
In withdrawing the Philippines’ membership in the tribunal, Duterte cited “baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks” against him.
