MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday again railed against the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of interfering in Philippine affairs.

The ICC prosecutor’s office earlier said it found “reasonable basis” to believe crimes against humanity were committed during the Duterte administration's war on drugs.

• ICC prosecutor finds 'reasonable basis' for alleged crimes against humanity in Duterte drug war

"Why are you interfering in the affairs of my country and other countries? And who gave you the authority … by what divine law gave you the authority to prosecute me in a foreign land tapos ang nakaupo puro kayo mga puti na ulol (and those who judge are all white fools)? You must be crazy," the President said in a public briefing Monday night.

However, not all judges of the ICC are white or Caucasian, as some of the magistrates are of Asian, African and Hispanic descent.

"We have courts here functioning. And if the court says I should go to jail, I will go to jail. Walang problema 'yan (There's no problem)," Duterte said.

Malacañang earlier said the tribunal would waste resources if it pursues its inquiry into the war on drugs, saying the ICC had no jurisdiction over the Philippines following its withdrawal last year from the body.

According to the "Report on Preliminary Examination Activities 2020", ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's office found "reasonable basis to believe that the crimes against humanity of murder (article 7(1)(a)), torture (article 7(1)(f)) and the infliction of serious physical injury and mental harm as other inhumane Acts (article 7(1)(k)) were committed on the territory of the Philippines between at least 1 July 2016 and 16 March 2019, in connection to the WoD campaign launched throughout the country."

It said the preliminary examination focused on allegations that Duterte and senior members of law enforcement agencies and other government bodies "actively promoted and encouraged the killing of suspected or purported drug users and/or dealers, and in such context, members of law enforcement, including particularly the PNP, and unidentified assailants have carried out thousands of unlawful killings throughout the Philippines."

The Philippines in March 2019 quit the ICC, though the world's only permanent war crimes tribunal pledged to pursue its examination of alleged illegal killings in Duterte's drug war.

Early this month, Duterte told law enforcers and prosecutors to "never waver" in the fight against the narcotics trade despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also repeated his accusation that rights defenders are "preoccupied" with the life of criminals, his advice for law enforcers to shoot suspects who fight back, and his promise to take responsibility for deaths in operations.

The government has many times said those slain in anti-drug operations had violently resisted arrest, prompting operatives to open fire and defend themselves.

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