The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) told the Supreme Court it is recusing itself from representing the respondents in the three habeas corpus petitions filed by the children of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The OSG, led by Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, stated that they ‘may not be able to effectively represent Respondents in these cases and is constrained to recuse itself from participating herein’ due to the OSG’s firm stand that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over the Philippines.

“In steadfast adherence to this sovereign decision, the OSG has consistently maintained, both in its submissions before the ICC and in its public statements, that the case of the Philippines was not admissible, and that the ICC failed to timely exercise its jurisdiction,'' it said.

''Consequently, the Philippine Government has no legal obligation to cooperate with the ICC nor recognize any process emanating from the ICC following the effectivity of the country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute,” the OSG added.

The three habeas corpus petitions were separately filed by Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Veronica Duterte, and Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte against the arrest of their father, former President Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Yzabela Velez-White/DMS