Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team has informed the International Criminal Court (ICC) that the Philippine government appears open to his possible interim release while he awaits trial for charges linked to his bloody war on drugs.
In a filing before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman pointed to the remarks of Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro, who said during a press briefing on Wednesday that the Marcos administration would respect the court’s decision on Duterte’s request for temporary liberty.
Kaufman stressed that the issue of interim release is “now contemplated without objection by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, which surrendered Mr. Duterte to the International Criminal Court.”
The development came after Vice President Sara Duterte revealed that a foreign country had agreed to accept her father should the ICC grant his release. She clarified that it was not Japan, while Australia had earlier ruled out hosting the former president.
Duterte’s camp has argued since June that the 80-year-old is not a flight risk and that his detention is unnecessary “to ensure the integrity of the investigations or to preclude the continued commission of crimes.” Kaufman said his client had instructed him “to do all possible to ensure his interim release.”
The former leader has been detained at The Hague since March 13. He faces crimes against humanity charges for alleged widespread abuses during his time as Davao City mayor and later as president.
The ICC confirmation of charges hearing, initially scheduled for September 23, was postponed indefinitely after Duterte’s camp declared he was “not fit to stand trial.” Kaufman earlier told the court that his client suffers from “impaired memory and concomitant inability to retain new information or to recall events, places, timing or even members of his close family and defense team.”
