THE PRE-TRIAL chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has junked former President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for interim release.
The ICC noted that Duterte did not dispute or contest the recital of allegations in his warrant of arrest.
This lack of denial led the court to conclude that there “continue to be reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Duterte is responsible for crimes against humanity of murder committed in the Philippines.”
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Duterte was arrested in March this year. Seven months have passed and his expensive legal team continues to scrounge for a credible defense to justify temporary release from detention while his case goes on trial.
Despite his boast that he would willingly go to prison for his sins, Duterte resisted arrest and subjected the authorities to a standoff lasting several hours in Villamor airbase.
Thus, the ICC noted that Duterte did not accede to the legality of his detention, who called it instead “pure and simple kidnapping.”
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Incidentally, the pending case that had been cited to prevent Crispin Remulla’s appointment as Ombudsman is the supposed illegality attending the service of Duterte’s warrant of arrest.
If at all, this helps illustrate the extent of Duterte’s continued influence in Philippine affairs. A Senate committee has questioned the validity of ICC processes.
Moreover, the Senate passed a resolution two weeks ago urging the ICC to place Duterte under house arrest “or a similar appropriate arrangement.”
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The ICC therefore concluded that Duterte continues to enjoy political influence in the country. It is an incentive to evade trial.
His network of support in the Philippines may help him abscond. His daughter is the current vice president and is regarded as the frontrunner in the 2028 presidential elections.
The election season begins exactly two years from now. It is quite likely that Duterte’s ICC trial will outlast the campaign period leading to Sara Duterte’s predicted victory at the polls.
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This high level of political influence, coupled with the fact that Duterte is facing multiple charges constituting crimes against humanity, has convinced the ICC that he is a flight risk and “detention is necessary to ensure his presence during the pre-trial proceedings and possible trial.”
It does not help that Duterte was reelected Mayor of Davao City in May this year, which again places him in a position to commit crimes similar to what he is currently charged before the ICC.
The Davao Death Squad was born when he was Mayor.
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It is obvious that the members of the Duterte family have been oblivious to the legal effects of their public acts and statements.
The ICC cited Vice President Sara’s speech expressing a desire to break Duterte out of the detention center. The former also allegedly told his daughter that he wanted to return to the Philippines despite his lawyer’s claim that he would remain in the host State for his interim release.
All these events led to the ICC ruling effectively consigning Duterte to detention in the duration of his trial./PN
