MANILA -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday that he will not cooperate with the International Criminal Courts investigation into the violent campaign against illegal drugs mounted by his immediate predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.

Marcos said the international body has no jurisdiction in the Philippines and ordered agencies not to assist the ICC probe.

I consider it as a threat to our sovereignty. Therefore, the Philippine government will not lift a finger to help any investigation that the ICC conducts, Marcos said.

The Philippine presidents statement is a blow for victims of the drug war and their families. The Southeast Asian nation, under Duterte, withdrew from the international tribunal in 2019, drawing criticism from the international community.

Marcoss stance on the tribunal had been closely watched. The ICC reopened its inquiry in January last year, rejecting Manilas appeal against its resumption in July. In November, Marcos said a return to membership in the court was under study.

Human Rights Watch and other rights groups estimate the Duterte administrations bloody drug war claimed the lives of 27,000 people. Duterte began his campaign a month after he came to office in 2016.