Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Speaks on Interim Release of Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to ICC
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President admitted that they prefer a house arrest for former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in Davao in case his interim release plea is granted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is detained under the custody of the ICC since March. The ICC previously bared that the prosecution panel filed three (3) counts of murder charges as “crimes against humanity” against the former Chief Executive.
Amid his ICC detention of at least six (6) months now, former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte has expressed his final wish before his death according to Duterte’s former spokesman Harry Roque. According to him, the 80-year-old former President wants to return to his home in Davao City and be there even just five (5) minutes before his death.
Roque stressed that the time is running and Duterte needs to be released from the ICC. The former presidential Spokesman is currently an asylum seeker in The Netherlands amid a pending arrest warrant issued by a local Philippine court against him.
The confirmation of charges hearing of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte was postponed after his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, claimed that he is allegedly suffering from a ‘cognitive impairment’. He claimed that the former President is allegedly unable to remember places, events, and even members of his family.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was allegedly found unconscious in his ICC room. According to her, the former President was brought to a hospital for his laboratory tests but they were supposedly not informed about the “accident”.
The ICC declined to comment on the claim of the Vice President. Recently, she spoke anew on her belief that the court can no longer secure her father.
The claim of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte came not just after the alleged “accident” of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte but as well as her claim that the officials of the Philippine government have allegedly entered the ICC detention facility and interviewed her father in a supposed disguise of a “welfare check”.
“Hindi kaya ng ICC na i-secure ang dating pangulong Duterte. Keeping him in without a trial date, without a date for confirmation of charges, it’s just plain cruelty. Pinapahirapan nila ‘yung tao. Naka-detain siya para ba siyang kinulong nang hindi siya na-convict,” the Vice President said based on a report on ABS-CBN News.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also admitted that they prefer to his father under a house arrest in Davao City if the ICC grants his request for an interim release. Based on the report, she claimed that an interim release would encourage the former President to cooperate in case a trial or hearing is pushed through.
“Kahit house arrest ‘yan doon, kahit na gusto ng ICC na ilibing sa ilalim ng bunker ‘yan, ‘yung house arrest niya walang problema sa amin, gagawin namin ‘yan,” she expressed.
Previously, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that a “third country” has agreed to host the interim release of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. However, she declined to specify which country is willing to accept her father.