Manila: The Philippine government has expressed its willingness to respect former President Rodrigo Duterte's decision if he chooses to surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid allegations of crimes against humanity during his anti-drug campaign. This was confirmed by Malacañang on Wednesday as the issue gains international attention. According to Philippines News Agency, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin released a statement affirming that the government will not oppose Duterte's potential surrender to the ICC's jurisdiction. "If the former president desires to surrender himself to the jurisdiction of the ICC, the government will neither object to it nor move to block the fulfillment of his desire," Bersamin stated. The pronouncement followed Duterte's own challenge to the ICC, made during a House of Representatives quad committee hearing. Duterte declared his willingness to be imprisoned if found guilty by the ICC, saying he is ready to "go to prison and rot there for all time." Bersamin indicated that the government would comply with international protocols if the ICC were to issue a "red notice" to Philippine authorities via the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). Should this occur, Bersamin noted that domestic law enforcement agencies would be required to cooperate fully with Interpol's request. A "red notice" serves as a global request for law enforcement to locate and provisionally arrest an individual for extradition, surrender, or legal action, though it is not considered an international arrest warrant. The ICC is actively investigating potential crimes against humanity linked to Duterte's drug war, which reportedly resulted in over 6,200 deaths of drug suspects between June 2016 and November 2021. Current Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has consistently asserted that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the Philippines, citing the country's functional judiciary. In previous statements, Marcos emphasized the Philippines' capability to conduct its own inve stigations into Duterte's anti-drug efforts. The country's exit from the ICC was formalized on March 17, 2019, marking a year after notifying the United Nations of its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court.