The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday called on United Nations human rights bodies to throw out allegations made by an international non-government organization (NGO) accusing the Marcos administration of using the International Criminal Court (ICC) to politically weaken the Duterte family ahead of the 2028 elections.
The International Career Support Association (ICSA) claimed that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s administration is weaponizing the ICC against former President Rodrigo Duterte. The NGO also accused the administration of employing bribery and financial anomalies in its submissions to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The DFA flatly rejected the allegations, labeling them as completely “baseless” fabrications that have already failed to gain traction in the past.
“This is not the first time the International Career Support Association (ICSA) has brought these baseless claims before the United Nations,” the DFA said in an official statement. “None of its previous actions have borne any fruit.”
ICSA is an organization that holds special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, frequently participating in UNHRC sessions to address judicial sovereignty, political developments, and human rights.
The former president is currently facing an ICC probe in The Hague over the thousands of deaths tied to his administration’s controversial anti-illegal drugs campaign. Meanwhile, his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte—who is currently facing an impeachment trial in the Senate over allegations ranging from corruption to plotting against President Marcos—has already signaled her intentions to run for the presidency in 2028.
Downplaying the impact of the NGO’s allegations, the DFA explained that the UN routinely accepts and distributes such submissions merely as standard operating protocol.
“We anticipate that no action will be taken on it by the HRC or the OHCHR,” the DFA noted, clarifying that the UN circulates these documents “as a matter of procedure, without comments or any other actions.”
The department further emphasized that actual declarations from UN rights agencies and member states heavily contradict ICSA’s narrative.
“What the records show are the UN and its member states calling for accountability,” the DFA concluded.