Former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo has filed a writ of habeas corpus before the Supreme Court on behalf of Veronica “Kitty” Duterte, daughter of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, following his arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duterte was taken into custody on March 11 upon his arrival from Hong Kong and later transferred to The Hague in the Netherlands, where the ICC is headquartered. The former leader is facing charges of crimes against humanity in connection with his controversial war on drugs.
Panelo, joined by his son Salvador Paolo Jr., lodged the petition on March 12, arguing that Duterte’s arrest and subsequent handover violated Philippine sovereignty and constitutional rights. He accused the Philippine government of illegally detaining Duterte and surrendering him to a foreign tribunal with no jurisdiction over the country.
“The Philippine National Police (PNP) did not allow his lawyer to meet him at the airport to question the legal basis of his arrest,” Panelo said, calling the move “unlawful.” He also claimed that authorities did not possess a hard copy of the arrest warrant and labeled the document “spurious.”
Duterte withdrew the Philippines from the ICC in 2018, a move that took effect in 2019. However, the court maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member. The ICC’s warrant, issued on February 10, charges Duterte with crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and rape, related to his anti-drug campaign between 2011 and 2019.
During his presidency, Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang anti-drug operations led to the deaths of thousands of individuals. Official data records 6,229 deaths from July 2016 to January 2022, but human rights groups estimate the toll could be as high as 27,000.
Kitty Duterte took to social media following her father’s arrest, calling it “illegal detention” and denying the existence of a valid warrant.
Panelo’s petition seeks to compel the government to bring Duterte back to the Philippines and to hold officials accountable for what he calls a betrayal of national sovereignty.
