Manila: The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the thousands of killings committed during his predecessor's "war on drugs," according to Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will not be assisted by his government, he declared on Friday.
Marcos argued that the Southeast Asian nation, which withdrew from the ICC in March 2019, is not subject to the ICC's jurisdiction.

After the Philippines' attempt to stop an investigation by the court's prosecutors into the anti-drug campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte was rejected by the ICC's appeals judges, Marcos told reporters, "We will not cooperate with them in any way, shape, or form." This came just days after Marcos' comments.

According to rights groups, thousands of people were killed during anti-drug operations that turned deadly shootouts during Duterte's six-year term. About 6,200 deaths have been officially acknowledged by the police, who also reject accusations.

Also Read: World's Biggest Rice Exporter Puts the Brakes on Sales

According to Marcos, because the alleged crimes were committed on Philippine soil, they must be prosecuted domestically. The justice ministry has pledged to conduct a fair investigation into the drug war.

Also Read: Four people detained over a video of naked Indian women could be executed

"We continue to defend the sovereignty of the Philippines and continue to question the jurisdiction of the ICC in their investigations here in the Philippines," said Marcos.

Also Read: Pheu Thai will form the next government thanks to Thailand's Move Forward

Even though the Philippines is no longer a party to the international court, the court's top prosecutor has stated that the country was a party at the time the alleged crimes were committed, so the court does have jurisdiction.