Hungary stays in ICC

Hungary said on May 23 it was withdrawing its plan to leave the International Criminal Court, reversing a move that had raised questions about whether the court’s warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be enforced there. Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the government would remain in the ICC, according to the Jerusalem Post. That means the court’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant remain formally in effect in Hungary. In the Philippines, investigators said more ICC arrest warrants tied to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war could follow within days. In the United States, the Supreme Court is preparing major rulings on President Donald Trump’s agenda. ### Why does Hungary’s decision matter for Netanyahu and Gallant? Hungary’s May 23 decision matters because ICC member states are expected to cooperate with the court, including by acting on arrest warrants. The Jerusalem Post reported that Magyar announced Hungary was withdrawing its intention to leave the court. The move kept in place the legal framework under which ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant would apply on Hungarian soil. (jpost.com) The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in November 2024, according to Politico’s report on Magyar’s earlier comments. Magyar said in April that if Hungary remained a member and a person wanted by the court entered Hungarian territory, that person would have to be taken into custody. Human Rights Watch said in March that Hungarian authorities should arrest Netanyahu if he entered the country. (jpost.com) ### What are Philippine authorities saying about new ICC warrants? Philippine investigators said on May 23 that they had received information indicating more people could soon face ICC arrest warrants in the Duterte drug-war case. The Manila Times reported that NBI Director Melvin Matibag said law enforcement agencies were ready to act “regardless of the identities” of those involved. He said, “We are always ready to enforce and serve the warrants. It doesn’t matter who it is.” (politico.eu) The Daily Tribune reported that the possible new warrants were tied to other alleged perpetrators in the drug-war investigation. Manila Standard and Philstar also reported Matibag as saying the ICC could issue additional warrants soon. ABS-CBN reported earlier this week that the NBI would enforce an ICC warrant against Ronald dela Rosa following a Department of Justice directive. (manilatimes.net) ### How does Duterte fit into the ICC case now? Rodrigo Duterte remains the central political figure in the ICC’s Philippines investigation, but the latest statements from the NBI suggest the case may widen beyond him. Philstar reported that Matibag said Duterte “may soon have company in The Hague,” referring to other possible suspects. OneNews similarly reported Matibag as saying the bureau had information that several more people would be issued warrants. (tribune.net.ph) The NBI has not publicly named all of the people who could be targeted next. The Tribune said officials were withholding operational details to avoid alerting possible subjects of future warrants. ### What is happening at the U.S. Supreme Court? The New York Times reported on May 24 that the Supreme Court is preparing to issue major decisions in the coming weeks that will determine the fate of key parts of Trump’s agenda. (qa.philstar.com) The article said Trump had alternated between pressuring the justices and seeking to cultivate them as the court moved toward the end of its term. (tribune.net.ph) Other U.S. outlets have also pointed to a cluster of pending cases. USA Today reported that the court was entering the final stretch of its 2026 term with major rulings still to come, while U.S. News said pending disputes included cases involving birthright citizenship, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Trade Commission and immigration protections. (nytimes.com) ### What happens next? In the Philippines, the next concrete step is whether the ICC issues the additional warrants that Matibag said could come in the next few days. In the United States, the Supreme Court’s next opinions are expected in the coming weeks before the term ends. In Hungary, any future visit by Netanyahu or another ICC-wanted figure would test whether Magyar’s government follows through on the court obligations it has now chosen to keep. (manilatimes.net) (usatoday.com)