UN may not tackle NGO’s ICC claims

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday said it does not expect the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to take action on a nongovernment organization’s (NGO) claims that ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s detention in The Hague was politically motivated.

The Japan-based NGO International Career Support Association (ICSA) earlier claimed that Mr. Duterte’s surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC) was “highly politicized.”

“This is not the first time the International Career Support Association has brought these baseless claims before the United Nations. None of its previous actions have borne any fruit,” the DFA said in a press statement.

The ICSA, in a written statement to the UNHRC, called on the ICC to not let itself be weaponized in the domestic political affairs of the Philippines, citing Mr. Duterte’s arrest.

Mr. Duterte was arrested and taken to The Hague in March 2025 due to crimes against humanity stemming from his anti-illegal drug campaign.

The DFA in response said that the UN regularly receives such statements but refuses to comment on them, but noted that the actions taken by the HRC and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights contradict the claims made by ICSA.

“What the records show are the UN and its member states calling for accountability,” the DFA added. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel