MANILA – Senatorial aspirants Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan  shared their take on calls for former President Rodrigo Duterte to face the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC is investigating the thousands of suspected extrajudicial killings during Duterte's administration's bloody war on drugs.

"Yes, sang-ayon ako diyan. Pero mas mahalaga, kung meron mang proseso dito sa Pilipinas, mas mahalaga na for me dito sa Pilipinas yan marinig ng korte natin. But it can be a parallel process with the ICC," Aquino said.

Aquino and Pangilinan also support the return of the Philippines to the ICC.

"Tayo ang isa sa mga senador noon na nag-petition sa Supreme Court na nagsasabi hindi tayo pwede lumabas sa ICC. Maliwanag ang ating posisyon noon, maliwanag ang ating posisyon ngayon," he said.

"We have to follow the law. Kung sino dapat managot, managot," Pangilinan added.

In 2018, under then-President Duterte, the Philippines announced its withdrawal from the Rome Statute, which created the ICC.

Despite this, the ICC said this move will not affect proceedings against Duterte.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said the government will not cooperate with the ICC's probe into Duterte.

However, Marcos Jr. said he will not block them if Duterte wants to be investigated.

In a House hearing last November, the former President called on the ICC to hurry up and start the investigation against him.

Duterte also said in a Senate probe that he takes "full responsibility" for the bloody drug war, but denied a killing policy.

Official government data recorded around 6,000 drug war-related killings, but rights group said it could be as high as 30,000.