Former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC Interim Release Bid Junked by Court w/ Unanimous Decision
ICC – The International Criminal Court cited the statements of Vice President Sara Duterte in its decision to reject the interim release plea of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte remains detained under the custody of the ICC since March. He is faced with three (3) counts of murder charges as alleged “crimes against humanity” filed by the prosecution team. In August, the camp of the former President renewed their application for his interim release.
According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, a “third country” has allegedly committed to host the interim release of her father but she did not reveal which nation she’s referring to. She stressed that her father allegedly needs a 24/7 caregiver to take care of him.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte also claimed that former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte was allegedly found unconscious in the floor of his ICC room. According to her, they were supposedly not informed about the alleged “accident”. The Vice President remains vocal about her stand that their father was allegedly forcibly taken to another country.
Recently, the International Criminal Court released its decision on the interim release application of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Based on a report on Inquirer, the ICC rejected the application of the former President citing him as a “flight risk”. Furthermore, the foreign court asserted that the continued detention of the former President is necessary to ensure his presence at the trial.
Based on the report, the three-member Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) had a unanimous decision to reject the interim release plea of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. In its decision, the foreign court cited the statements of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte in support of its decision.
The ICC cited Vice Pres. Duterte’s statement about the idea of “breaking Mr Duterte out of the ICC Detention Centre”. The court also cited her previous remark about her belief that the foreign court and the Philippine government allegedly colluded in the arrest of her father.
“In addition, his family not only physically resisted, but also publicly voiced criticism regarding his arrest and detention, and demanded that he should be brought back to the Philippines,” the decision of ICC reads.
The lead counsel of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, Nicholas Kaufman, previously claimed that the former President is allegedly suffering from a ‘cognitive impairment’. He asked the foreign court to adjourn all legal proceedings indefinitely. However, the ICC prosecutors recommend three (3) medical experts to check on former Pres. Duterte’s fitness to stand trial.