The recent unfolding of events in Manila highlights a stark reality: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s relationship with the International Criminal Court (ICC) is driven by political expediency rather than a commitment to justice. While the government officially maintains a distance from the international tribunal, the reality of the situation is highly selective. When the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte served to dismantle a powerful political rival, the state found a way to facilitate his transition to The Hague. However, when the ICC sought Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the government’s response shifted from cooperation to calculated inaction, allowing a key figure of the previous administration to vanish into the shadows rather than face trial.

Ultimately, Marcos’s approach to the drug war is less about reform and more about rebranding. Despite his rhetoric, the executive orders that authorized the brutal campaign under the previous administration remain fully intact, and drug-related killings continue under his watch. By treating the ICC as a tactical instrument to neutralize political threats—specifically the rising influence of Sara Duterte—rather than as a partner in truth, Marcos has effectively upheld the status quo. His failure to dismantle the machinery of the drug war or re-engage with the Rome Statute suggests that he isn’t breaking from the past, but rather perfecting the art of using it to ensure his own survival.