ICC ‘diffusion request,’ arrest warrant confirmed
Credit to Author: Janvic Mateo| Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 +0800
MANILA, Philippines — Hours before the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the International Criminal Court (ICC) sent a “diffusion request” by email to three agencies that it collectively called the National Central Bureau (NCB) to alert them of the operation and ensure everything would be in order.
The NCB, established based on guidelines of the International Police Organization (Interpol), is composed of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Immigration and the National Bureau of Investigation.
The STAR saw a copy of the email received by the NCB at past 3 a.m., hours before Duterte was formally taken into custody at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal III upon his arrival on a Cathay Pacific Airways flight from Hong Kong at 9:20 a.m. yesterday.
Based on ICC’s email to the NCB, the diffusion request “was transmitted as per prior consultations with the Government of the Philippines, who have agreed to comply with this request for arrest.”
According to the Interpol, a diffusion request is similar to the color-coded notices used “to alert law enforcement in other countries of potential threats, or to ask for assistance in solving crimes.”
“Similar to the Notice, a diffusion is issued for the same purposes as notices but sent directly by a member country or an international entity to the countries of their choice. Diffusions are also recorded in the Organization’s police databases,” it added.
The Interpol said diffusions also correspond to the color-coded system that it uses for notices. A red notice is issued to “seek the location and arrest of persons wanted for prosecution or to serve a sentence.”
Based on the request, the ICC requested to locate and arrest Duterte “with a view to extradition.”
“This request is to be treated as a formal request for provisional arrest, in conformity with national laws and/or the applicable bilateral and multilateral treaties,” it added.
Sources confirmed ICC’s issuance of a 15-page warrant on Duterte, whom it tagged as an “alleged indirect co-perpetrator” of crimes against humanity, specifically murder, torture and rape. Sources said the document was labeled “secret.”
It was dated March 7 and signed by ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I Judges Iulia Antoanella Motoc, Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini-Gansou and María del Socorro Flores Liera. The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor applied for a warrant of arrest for Duterte on Feb. 10.
“After evaluating the information submitted by the Prosecution, the Chamber accepts that ‘there is no reasonable expectation that he would cooperate with a summons to appear issued by the Court,’” the ICC judges ruled.
“The Chamber observes that Mr. Duterte, even though no longer the President of the Philippines, appears to continue to wield considerable power. Mindful of the resultant risk of interference with the investigations and the security of witnesses and victims, the Chamber is satisfied that the arrest of Mr. Duterte is necessary… to ensure his appearance before the Court,” it added.