By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. is not worried about the political squabble between the Marcos and Duterte clans over the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) probe of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s drug war affecting state engagement with foreign investors, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

“Foreign investors prefer a country and leaders who follow the law,” PCO Undersecretary Clarissa A. Castro told a news briefing on Monday, citing the tough-talking leader’s arrest and trial before the ICC over his deadly drug war that has killed thousands of drug suspects.

“They do not support harboring individuals involved in crimes against humanity, specifically murder. Foreign investors do not approve of sheltering people involved in such crimes.”

Mr. Duterte, who sat as president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested last week in Manila, marking the biggest step yet in the ICC’s probe into his alleged crimes against humanity during an anti-illegal drug crackdown that killed thousands and drew condemnation around the world.

The ICC has been investigating Mr. Duterte for crimes he allegedly committed when he was Davao City mayor and during the first three years of his government, when the Philippines was still a party to the international tribunal.

Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Chairman George T. Barcelon earlier told reporters that it may be “too early to tell” if the Mr. Duterte’s arrest will affect the Philippine business environment.

Leonardo A. Lanzona, who teaches economics at the Ateneo de Manila University, said this could have a positive effect as it could be viewed as an adherence to the rule of law.

“There is probably no negative effect (in investor engagement), but there can be a positive effect. Whatever is the motivation of the government in allowing Duterte to fly off to The Hague, the decision of sending him there is one step towards accomplishing the rule of law, a principle investors would adhere to.” Mr. Lanzona said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

In a separate Viber message, Calixto V. Chikiamco, Foundation for Economic Freedom president, said the squabble will not likely affect sentiment, noting investors will mainly be driven by factors, such as the Philippines’ openness to foreign investments, quality of infrastructure, market size, and tax policies, among others.

“The Duterte-Marcos political conflict and Duterte’s trial are also unlikely to cause political instability and destabilization. Marcos enjoyed a large mandate from the electorate (the largest majority since the 1987 People Power Revolution). Therefore, instability is not in the cards,” he said.

In the same briefing, the PCO official said that the government would file cases against those inciting rebellion and uprising against the administration at political rallies, citing the need distinguish these from free speech.

This comes after Senator and former national police chief Ronald M. dela Rosa at a pro-Duterte rally criticized the government’s cooperation with the International Criminal Police Organization in carrying the ICC’s arrest warrant against the firebrand leader.

Vice-President and the former President’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio earlier accused the government of abandoning her office at an event for overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong.

“We will not stop them from expressing their feelings, as long as it does not escalate to causing alarm and can be considered sedition or inciting sedition,” Ms. Castro said.

She also urged former Presidential spokesperson Herminio L. Roque, who is in the Netherlands as part of Mr. Duterte’s legal team before the international tribunal, to come home and face accusations of his supposed involvement in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

“But perhaps it would be better to challenge him to return because, right, they say, ‘Bring home former President Duterte.’ So maybe people should also shout, ‘Bring home Roque,’” she said.

Mr. Marcos earlier issued an executive order to ban POGOs due to their links to organized crime such as human trafficking.

The House of Representatives’ so-called “quad-committee” ordered Mr. Roque’s arrest and detention after being cited for contempt the second time for failing to submit subpoenaed documents necessary to the panel’s probe in relation to POGOs.

At a Zoom briefing with reporters, Mr. Roque said he would seek asylum in the Netherlands amid the House’s arrest order against him.

“I’m sorry I cannot come home, I have to defend my president,” he said.

The war on drugs was Mr. Duterte’s signature campaign policy that swept him to power in 2016 as a maverick, crime-busting mayor who delivered on promises he made during vitriolic speeches to kill thousands of drug pushers.

The firebrand leader said he used a death squad composed of gangsters and rich people who killed criminals in Davao City but denied giving out rewards for these killings.

The Philippine government estimates that at least 6,117 drug dealers were killed in police operations. Human rights groups say as many as 30,000 drug suspects died.

“No one is above the law, no matter how high the office they once held,” Fides M. Lim, a human rights advocate and convenor of the political prisoner group Kapatid, said in a Viber message. “If he truly believes in his actions, let him face the charges in court rather than play the victim.”