Lawyer of Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte Files Request to ICC
RODRIGO DUTERTE – The camp of the former President asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his interim release to an undisclosed country that is allegedly ready to take him in.
Despite former Pres. Duterte’s lawyers’ firm belief that the ICC is allegedly not in the position to exercise jurisdiction in the Philippines, the former President remains in detention in The Hague, Netherlands for more than three (3) months now. He is faced with an allegation of crimes against humanity before the foreign court.
Duterte’s ICC case stems to the allegations surrounding the war on drugs of his administration. It was last March 11 when the former President was arrested by the Philippine authorities upon his arrival from Hong Kong.
On the same day of his arrest, former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte was flown to The Hague en route Dubai for the transfer of his custody to the International Criminal Court. His family member switch turns in visiting him inside the ICC detention facility.
All the four (4) children of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte have visited him in The Hague. His common-law wife, Honeylet Avanceña, and his younger brother, Bong Duterte, have also visited the former Chief Executive. His ex-wife, Elizabeth Zimmerman, also flew to the Netherlands to visit him.
Recently, it was revealed that the camp of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has requested for his interim release. Based on a report on GMA News, the bid was made through a 16-page request where his camp asked for his temporary release to an undisclosed country.
An undisclosed country is allegedly ready to take former Pres. Duterte in during his interim release. Based on the report, the lawyer of the former President, Nicholas Kaufman, said the discussions about the interim release started between the former President’s legal counsel and the prosecution after his initial appearance before the tribunal.
Duterte made his first appearance before the tribunal last March 14. It was done through a video conference from his detention as he appeared “visibly fatigued”. Based on the report, in the said request for Duterte’s interim release, his lawyer claimed that the prosecution does not oppose to his interim release to a country yet to be made public.
“Mr. Duterte does not meet any of the conditions to warrant further pre-trial detention as provided in Article 58(1)(b). He does not pose an objective risk of flight, nor is his arrest necessary to ensure the integrity of the investigations or to preclude the continued commission of crimes. He must, as a result, be immediately released from ICC custody,” the British-Israeli lawyer wrote in the request.
Furthermore, aside from the interim release of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, his camp also asked for shorter deadlines for any response or observation. Previously, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that hers and Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s name are on the ICC list of persons who might face an arrest warrant.