A day before the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues its decision on Rodrigo Duterte’s bid for temporary release, the former Philippine president’s legal team pushed back against online rumors questioning his condition inside the detention center in The Hague.
The clarification came from lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, who directly addressed claims circulating on social media. “I would like to state, in no uncertain terms, that the information circulating on the internet suggesting that Former President Duterte was found unconscious in his cell this morning is totally untrue,” Kaufman said in a message passed on by Vice President Sara Duterte. He added that he had spoken with Duterte, saying, “I have just spoken to him and he is stoically awaiting the judgment of the ICC Appeals Chamber on the matter of interim release.”
Duterte remains held at the Scheveningen Prison, where he is facing proceedings related to allegations of crimes against humanity stemming from the deadly anti-drug campaign carried out during his years as Davao City mayor and later as president.
The ICC Appeals Chamber will announce its ruling on November 28, following an earlier decision by the tribunal’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, which on September 26 denied Duterte’s request for interim release. The court said the ruling will be delivered in open session at 10:30 a.m. in The Hague and broadcast live on its website as well as its Facebook and YouTube channels.
