Mandaue city: Malaca±ang on Tuesday stated that it is not the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that betrayed Filipinos but the perpetrators and accomplices involved in alleged crimes against humanity linked to the anti-drug campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Philippines News Agency, the statement came after Duterte's legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, claimed that the former president had been 'betrayed' by the current government. Speaking to reporters in Mandaue City, Cebu, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro rejected the claim, emphasizing that the focus should be on delivering justice to victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) associated with Duterte's drug war.

Castro also criticized what she described as politicking by Duterte's camp, accusing them of attempting to gain sympathy by repeatedly questioning the Marcos administration's earlier decision to facilitate the former leader's arrest. "It has been one year since the victims of EJK have seen the ray of justice. The justice that they deserve," Castro stated. "It is not the President who betrayed the Filipinos but the perpetrators and co-perpetrators in the commission of the crimes against humanity who betrayed and continuously betray the Filipino people," she added.

Duterte's anti-drug campaign, launched in 2016, attracted widespread criticism from local and international human rights groups due to thousands of deaths linked to police operations and vigilante-style killings. The issue has been under scrutiny by the International Criminal Court, which has been investigating alleged crimes against humanity connected to the campaign.

The Marcos administration has maintained that it has no plan to rejoin the ICC, despite its recent move and following Duterte's decision to withdraw from the tribunal in 2019. Families of EJK victims and human rights advocates continue to seek accountability and justice.