Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked his supporters to stay out of his case at the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he is facing allegations of crimes against humanity over his controversial war on drugs.
The request came from Duterte himself through his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, during her visit to him in The Hague, Netherlands, on the eve of his 80th birthday.
“He said let’s not interfere in his case at the International Criminal Court. Let us let his lawyers and the court itself decide on what will happen or what will be followed as part of the court processes,” the Vice President told a crowd of his supporters during a rally on Friday near the ICC detention facility.
Duterte has been detained at the Scheveningen prison complex since March 12 after the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber issued a warrant citing “reasonable grounds” linking him to killings during his anti-drug campaign.
Thousands of people, mostly from poor communities, were killed during Duterte’s presidency in what authorities claimed were police encounters with drug suspects who allegedly resisted arrest.
While protests calling for his release have erupted near the ICC, Duterte made clear he does not want the case to be influenced by public pressure. “He said, if you want to express your support, if you want to express your anger or if you want to express your satisfaction, he said, let’s not talk about the case and let’s not talk about what’s happening in the case,” Sara added.
Among those at the rally were his children, including Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, and his partner Honeylet Avanceña with their daughter Kitty. His family has also filed a habeas corpus petition with the Philippine Supreme Court to push for his return, calling his ICC transfer a “kidnapping.”
However, the Palace and international legal experts have rejected that claim, saying the arrest followed due process under laws aligned with international standards.
Duterte’s defense lawyer, British-Israeli attorney Nicholas Kaufman, previously called the former president’s detention “illegal” and announced plans to seek his temporary release.
Duterte made his first court appearance on March 14 via video link, where the ICC confirmed his identity and informed him of the charges.
