Duterte seeks interim release from ICC

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. ARCHIVE

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has filed a petition with the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking interim release to a third country, citing humanitarian grounds and a promise not to flee or reoffend. Duterte, 80, was arrested in March on murder charges linked to his controversial “war on drugs” during his presidency. His campaign to eliminate drug use resulted in thousands of deaths, many allegedly involving extrajudicial killings—a matter that has drawn sharp criticism from international human rights groups. His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, told the ICC’s pre-trial chamber that Duterte is no longer in power and poses no flight risk. “Mr Duterte is no longer the President of the Philippines, and does not command the same influence or power he is said to have abused during the period of the alleged crimes,” the legal filing stated. A third country has reportedly expressed its “advance and principled agreement” to receive Duterte, though the nation’s identity was redacted from the publicly released documents. Duterte’s counsel also noted that the prosecution would not oppose his interim release as long as certain undisclosed conditions are met. The former president argued that his age and health condition warrant humanitarian consideration. However, Kristina Conti, ICC assistant to counsel and legal representative of victims of the drug war, expressed opposition to the move. Speaking to DZMM, she said her clients have opposed Duterte’s interim release from the beginning. Despite his legal troubles, Duterte retained popular support in some parts of the Philippines, having recently won as mayor of his hometown Davao during the midterm elections. ICA/Expat Media