MANILA — The Australian government has reportedly refused to host former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte should the International Criminal Court (ICC) grant his petition for interim release.
According to a report by Philstar, Canberra has not offered, nor is it considering, accepting Duterte onto its territory. The Australian government views the petition as a matter solely within the jurisdiction of the ICC under the Rome Statute, of which Australia is a signatory.
In Duterte’s petition for provisional release, his legal team claimed that a state had expressed willingness to accept the former president and impose the necessary conditions of his release. However, the report suggested that Australia was not that country.
Prosecutors have since urged the ICC to reject Duterte’s petition, citing serious concerns that he may attempt to flee and undermine judicial proceedings.
“The Prosecution’s position is that Mr. Duterte’s continued detention is necessary to ensure his appearance at trial, ensure that he does not obstruct or endanger the investigation or court proceedings, and prevent him from committing crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court,” the document read.
While Duterte’s lawyers assured the chamber that their client is not a flight risk, the prosecution cast doubt by referencing Duterte’s previous public statements and political plans.
“The Defence submits that Mr. Duterte will not continue to commit crimes if released. However, Mr. Duterte has reportedly previously stated that he planned to run for Mayor of Davao City again in 2025 and pledged to ‘double’ the killings the ‘moment I return.’ Mr Duterte has since won the Davao Mayoral election and his family has consistently stated their intention to bring him home to the Philippines,” the prosecution noted.
It also highlighted Duterte’s alleged history of obstructing investigations, as well as earlier threats he made to harm ICC officials seeking his arrest.
Duterte is currently under ICC custody facing charges of crimes against humanity related to the thousands of deaths during his administration’s bloody war on drugs. His legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, filed the request for interim release on June 12./PN
