ICC Issues Ruling on Challenge of Duterte Camp To Its Jurisdiction
DUTERTE CAMP – The International Criminal Court (ICC) denied the challenge to its jurisdiction over the case against the former President.
Amid the calls for a house arrest for former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte by his political allies in the Philippines, the former President remains detained under the custody of the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands. He was arrested by the Philippine authorities who assisted the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) in March.
Following his arrest, former Pres. Duterte was detained for a few hours at the Villamor Air Base. On the same day that the Philippine authorities nabbed him, he was flown to Dubai en route for The Hague, Netherlands for the transfer of his custody to the ICC.
Recently, the ICC rejected the interim release plea filed by the Duterte camp in June. The decision came after Vice Pres. Sara Duterte claimed that a third country is allegedly willing to host the interim release of her father if the foreign court will grant it.
The ICC also previously postponed the confirmation of charges hearing of Duterte after his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, claimed that the former President is allegedly unfit to stand trial. According to the British-Israeli Lawyer, Duterte can hardly remember places, events, and even members of his family.
According to the International Criminal Court, the continued detention of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is necessary to ensure his attendance to the hearings. Three (3) judges had a unanimous decision over the matter.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte recently claimed that she prays for the interim release of former Pres. Duterte or his total freedom from his case in the ICC. According to the Vice President, her 80-year-old father needs a 24-hour caregiver to take care of him.
Recently, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I released its decision on the challenge issued by the Duterte camp over its jurisdiction in the case against the former President. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, all three (3) judges of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I denied the challenge of the former President’s camp.
“The Chamber finds that the Court can exercise its jurisdiction in the present case over the crimes alleged against Mr Duterte that were committed on the territory of the Philippines while it was a State Party,” the Chamber stated in its 32-page decision.
Furthermore, based on the report, the issuance of the ruling also turned down the request of the camp of Duterte to postpone the release of its decision while waiting for the assessment on the former President’s fitness to stand trial. Previously, the ICC ordered Duterte to undergo checking by three (3) medical experts to assess his fitness to stand trial.