DOJ: Witnesses vs Rody under gov't protection

Three or four prosecution witnesses in the coming trial in The Hague of former president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity are now under the government's witness protection program, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday.

- DAPHNE GALVEZ, Bella Cariaso, Janvic Mateo

"As far as I know, we're helping three or four. But I think there will be more," Remulla told reporters.

He said the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been providing protection for the witnesses since May, as requested by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

He clarified that while the government will take care of the safety and security needs of the witnesses in the country, it's the ICC that will transport them to The Hague and give them protection.

Remulla explained that providing protection to the witnesses does not go against the government's stance that the ICC no longer has jurisdiction over the country, since the Marcos administration "chose not to pursue the cases and let the ICC pursue these cases."

He also said giving protection to the witnesses does not mean the Philippines has rejoined the ICC, explaining that the government is just invoking the country's own Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

"It also becomes our obligation to help them because we are giving up our jurisdiction for their jurisdiction kasi nga ang hirap na i-prove ang case dito. Kaya ipinaubaya natin sa ICC (because it's really hard to prove this case here, so we've entrusted it to the ICC)," Remulla said.

As she continued her international campaign to have her father temporarily freed from detention and allowed to stay in a third country, Vice President Sara Duterte faced a Russian television network Wednesday night to denounce his arrest, which she blamed on the Marcos administration.

In an interview over Russia Today, she reiterated that the arrest of Duterte by the ICC was purely political. The Interpol and local law enforcers carried out the arrest and flight of the former president to The Hague where he is now awaiting trial for crimes against humanity.