Manila: The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday announced its readiness to assist the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) should the International Criminal Court (ICC) request help in implementing an alleged arrest warrant against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Philippines News Agency, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo emphasized the PNP's obligation as a member of Interpol to cooperate with the international police body. Despite this readiness, Fajardo clarified that there is currently no verifiable information regarding the issuance of an arrest warrant by the ICC for Duterte.

Fajardo explained, "Dadaan tayo sa proseso. Kung meron pong hihingin po na tulong 'yong ating (We will go through the process. If there is any request for assistance from our) Interpol, the PNP has a legal obligation to reciprocate 'yong courtesy na ibinibigay po sa atin ng Interpol (the courtesy that Interpol gives us)," during a press conference held at Camp Crame.

Furthermore, she noted that the PNP has not received any arrest warrant for Duterte from local courts. Fajardo also addressed concerns about the deployment of 7,000 personnel, stating that it is part of a simulation exercise for election security preparations across various regions, rather than for Duterte's arrest. She remarked that some movements might have been misinterpreted as related to Duterte's situation.

The ICC is currently in the process of gathering evidence as part of its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity linked to Duterte's controversial anti-drug campaign. Government data reveals that over 6,200 drug suspects died in the war on drugs from June 2016 to November 2021 during Duterte's presidency.