Former President Rodrigo Duterte will first be presented before a local court before any potential transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro.
In a GMA News report, Castro explained that the local court will assess whether the arrest process in the Philippines was conducted properly.
“As far as I know, he will be brought to a local court first, where they will verify if the arrest was lawful. Once validated, and if it’s determined that the process was correctly followed, he will then be transferred to The Hague for the ICC proceedings,” Castro said.
She added that if Duterte is convicted of crimes against humanity, the ICC will determine whether he faces a 30-year prison sentence or life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. confirmed that Interpol Manila received an official copy of the ICC warrant just hours before Duterte arrived from Hong Kong on Tuesday.
Marcos defended the arrest, stating that it was conducted upon Interpol’s request and in accordance with international obligations. “Every single necessary procedure was followed,” he assured.
Duterte’s flight had a layover in Dubai, arriving at around 8:03 a.m. Wednesday (Manila time) after departing the Philippines at 11:03 p.m. Tuesday.
