The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has refused to represent government officials named in petitions filed before the Supreme Court regarding the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
By law, the OSG serves as the government’s legal counsel.
However, in a manifestation of recusal filed on Monday, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra maintained the OSG’s firm position that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines and that the country’s investigative, prosecutorial, and judicial systems are functioning.
Therefore, he concluded that the OSG could not effectively represent the respondents in these cases and declined to participate.
Guevarra requested the Supreme Court to consider his motion.
The Solicitor General’s motion did not address the issue of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), which informed the Philippines about the arrest warrant for the former president.
Some government officials had previously argued that while the ICC no longer has jurisdiction in the Philippines, the country remains a member of Interpol.
The Supreme Court confirmed the filing of the SolGen’s motion.
SC spokesperson Camille Ting stated that the court received the OSG’s manifestation of recusal from the consolidated habeas corpus petitions filed by the former president’s children, Veronica “Kitty” Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, on Monday afternoon.
The SC also confirmed receiving a motion to remove Guevarra as a party respondent in the cases.
Besides Guevarra, the respondents in the petitions include Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, DOJ Secretary Boying Remulla, PNP Chief Rommel Marbil, PMGen. Nicolas Torre III, DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo, Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco, AFP Chief Romeo Brawner, and USec. Antonio Alcantara of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime.