Rodrigo Duterte vows he won't escape if granted interim release
Former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity, vowed he won't escape if he's granted interim release while waiting for the hearing on the confirmation of charges scheduled for Sept. 23.
The Philippine STAR reported that his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, shared his statement during her Kuwait trip, adding that Rodrigo would rather stay in Davao City.
“It is clear. He told me that repeatedly,” she said, recalling their recent conversation at the ICC detention center in The Hague.
Per the Rome Statute, a detainee may seek temporary freedom if they can comply with certain conditions and requirements. The court will decide whether there are "urgent and exceptional circumstances" to justify interim release and whether "necessary safeguards exist to ensure that the custodial State can fulfill its duty to surrender the person to the Court."
If granted, the Pre-Trial Chamber may require periodic status reports. Once a surrender order is issued, the suspect shall be immediately surrendered to the custodial State.
ICC assistant to counsel Atty. Kristina Conti previously raised concerns about granting Duterte temporary freedom, saying it can compromise the integrity of evidence and intimidate witnesses, according to a Philippine News Agency report.
The STAR reported that Rodrigo's legal team is preparing to file another motion in connection with his case. The VP, however, did not disclose further information as it has not yet been submitted to the court.
In July, the ICC granted the request of the former president's camp to hold off its decision for his interim release "until such time as the Defence has assembled all information necessary."
Duterte's lawyer Nicholas Kaufman said an ICC member-state, the name of which was redacted, had "expressed to the Defence its advance and principled agreement to receive Mr. Duterte onto its territory for the term of his interim release and will act, in accordance with its domestic law, to implement such conditions as deemed appropriate by Pre-Trial Chamber I."
Kaufman noted that Duterte "is not a flight risk, and custody is not necessary to ensure his appearance before the Court."
Duterte has been at the ICC since March 12 to face the charges of crimes against humanity for the extrajudicial killings during his bloody war on drugs.
He has been accused of being an "indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder pursuant to Article 7 (1)(a) of the Rome Statute."
Specifically, he was allegedly involved in the murder of at least 19 persons reported to be drug pushers or thieves who were killed by members of the Davao Death Squad in various locations in or around Davao City between 2011 and 2016, as well as the murder of at least 24 alleged criminals who were killed by or under the supervision of members of the Philippines law enforcement at various locations in the country between 2016 and 2019 during his term as president.
Duterte could be the first Asian former head of state to be indicted by the ICC.
His pre-trial hearing is on Sept. 23. If the charges against him are confirmed, it could be months before the case eventually goes on trial, and years before a final judgment is rendered.
