Duterte insisted that ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, hence the tribunal’s investigation is “not a problem” for him.
“Ako ay Pilipino at wala silang jurisdiction,” he stressed.
“They never acquired jurisdiction because the Rome agreement was never published in the Official Gazette, especially the laws the Constitution require, especially the penal law forms part of the law of the land: You must publish it,” he averred.
Duterte argued that ratification of the Rome Statute did not take effect into law.
He explained: “Ang ginawa nila, pinirmahan ni (former president) Erap (Estrada), dinala doon sa Congress tapos dineretso nila, appended it to the Rome agreement without returning it to me because I have to order the Bureau of Printing to publish it in the Official Gazette—that never complied.”
Nevertheless, the popular Philippine ex-leader said he could not care less about being incarcerated.
“Wala, matanda na ako. I have no qualms about going to prison and I’m 77, anong makuha nila sa akin?” he said.
Duterte quipped that he can do things that he was not able to do in the last six years inside the prison.
“I can read to death there inside. So many books to read,” he said.
“During the six years that I was attending to the affairs of the nation, marami akong hindi nagawa, kaya gagawin ko na.”
“So, walang problema dyan sa ICC personally. Wala silang jurisdiction,” he added.