Manila, March 3 -- No law legally prohibits the Philippine government from coordinating closely with the International Criminal Court (ICC) even after the country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday.

DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez issued the comment after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed that he met with ICC investigators to discuss witness protection in the case against former president Rodrigo R. Duterte.

"Understandably, yes, we know that we've withdrawn from the Rome Statute. That is clear. But there is no legal prohibition under our laws that says that you cannot coordinate with any international agency or tribunal, and that doing so would be a constitutional violation," Mart...