Statement of Duterte Family on ICC Denial of Dad Rodrigo’s Bid for Temporary Release
DUTERTE FAMILY – The kin of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte released a statement after the International Criminal Court (ICC) denied his interim release appeal.
In a decision that was released to the public in October, the International Criminal Court or ICC denied the interim release plea of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The former Chief Executive is faced with three (3) counts of murder as alleged “crimes against humanity” filed by the ICC prosecutor.
Duterte is detained under the custody of the ICC since March. He was arrested by the Philippine authorities who assisted the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) last March 11 upon his arrival from Hong Kong at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
On the same day that he was arrested by the Philippine authorities, Duterte was flown to Dubai en route for The Hague, Netherlands. His custody was transferred to the International Criminal Court which has long expressed an interest to investigate the war on drugs during the Duterte administration.
Amid the ICC detention of her father, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously claimed that a “third country” has allegedly committed to host the interim release of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. She prayed for the interim release or the total freedom of her father from the ICC case against him. The Duterte family usually visits the former President inside the ICC detention facility in The Hague.
Following the decision of the court to junk the interim release plea of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, his camp filed for an appeal. Recently, the court held a hearing and decided over the appeal for the former Chief Executive’s interim release.
Duterte skipped the ICC interim release hearing set on November 28. He signed a waiver and he was represented by his lead counsel, lawyer Nicholas Kaufman. The Defense team of the former President argud the following grounds:
- The Pre-Trial Chamber erroneously found that Duterte poses a risk under Article 58(1)(b) of the Rome Statute
- The Pre-Trial Chamber erred in its rejection of the guarantees proposed by the State willing to receive him
- The Pre-Trial Chamber erred in law by failing to take into account humanitarian considerations in assessing the right to interim release.
However, denying all the grounds argued by Duterte’s defense team, the International Criminal Court rejected the appeal of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. The Duterte family immediately released a statement over the court’s decision on their father’s interim release plea.
Davao Congressman Paolo Duterte took to social media the statement of the Duterte family on the ICC decision to junk the interim release appeal of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Here’s the statement of the former President’s family:
“The family accepts the ICC Appeal Chambr’s decision with peaceful hearts. We will continue to work with the defense team on the case and will keep supporting Former President Rodrigo Duterte with our daily conversations. We thank everyone who prayed with us today,” the Duterte family said.
Amid the massive corruption issues in the country, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte previously claimed that former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is allegedly “frustrated” over the supposed flood control corruption in the country.