MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte is not attending the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) confirmation of charges hearings later this month, escalating his standoff with the tribunal by rejecting its jurisdiction and branding his transfer to The Hague as “kidnapping.”
In a signed notification submitted to the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, Duterte waived his right to appear in the February 23 to 27 proceedings in The Hague, Netherlands, reiterating that he does not recognize the court’s authority over him.
The document was shared by his legal counsel, Nicholas Kaufman.
“I do not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over my person. I am a Filipino citizen forcibly pushed into a jet and renditioned to The Hague in the Netherlands in flagrant contravention of my country’s Constitution and of national sovereignty. My kidnapping was facilitated by the office of the incumbent President of the Philippines with a plane specially chartered for this purpose,” he said.
The 80-year-old former chief executive also cited his age and frail condition in declining to participate in the hearings, saying he preferred to remain in detention rather than take part in the legal proceedings.
“I am old, tired and frail. I wish for this Court to respect my peace inside the cell it has placed me. I have accepted the fact that I could die in prison. But those that desire this fate for me should know that my heart and soul will always remain in the Philippines,” Duterte said.
He denied directing a campaign of unlawful killings during his administration’s anti-drug operations, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated.
“These claims have been peddled by my political opponents for many years and, as my nation knows, they are based on the word of individuals whose credibility has been thoroughly discredited,” Duterte said.
Despite waiving his personal appearance, Duterte said he understood the legal consequences of his decision and expressed confidence in his defense team.
“I trust him and his team to challenge the sufficiency of the Prosecution’s evidence on my behalf. I do not wish to follow these proceedings from outside the courtroom through the use of communications technology,” he added.
The ICC recently released the prosecution’s document detailing charges related to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, including the names of alleged co-perpetrators. Among those identified were Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, longtime allies of the former president.
Malacañang swiftly rejected Duterte’s assertion that he had been “kidnapped,” insisting that Philippine authorities acted within the bounds of domestic law.
“Alam naman natin kung anong ibig sabihin ng kidnapping,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in an interview with GMA-7’s Unang Balita program.
She said the government allowed the ICC proceedings to move forward in accordance with Republic Act No. 9851, which governs cooperation with international tribunals.
“Since nag-start na ang hearing doon, pinauubaya ng ating gobyerno through Republic Act 9851 ang pagdinig nang tuluyan ng kaso doon,” she added.
Castro also pointed out that the complaints against Duterte were initiated by Filipino citizens who sought justice through international mechanisms, and that Philippine law allows authorities to defer to international courts already handling such cases.
The confirmation of charges hearing will determine whether the case against Duterte will proceed to full trial before the ICC — even as the former president maintains his defiance from detention./PN
