Senator urges house arrest for Duterte in The Hague

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. ARCHIVE

Philippine Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has proposed that former president Rodrigo Duterte be granted house arrest at the Philippine embassy in The Hague while awaiting trial for crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Cayetano filed a resolution on Thursday (July 10), urging the Philippine government to seek an interim release for Duterte, citing the former leader’s age, health, and prolonged isolation. The senator, a former foreign affairs secretary under Duterte, argued that the ex-president deserves to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. “Denying Duterte time with family is an injustice,” Cayetano said, appealing for compassion so that the 80-year-old can spend his remaining years with loved ones. Although the Philippines has withdrawn from the Rome Statute, Cayetano pointed out that the Philippine embassy could negotiate with the ICC for conditional arrangements, citing a precedent in the 2009 case of Congolese rebel Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo. Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte recalled a conversation between her father and her 12-year-old son, where the former president said: “Not all people in detention are bad… I am here because I did things for my country, and I do not regret going after criminals.” Vice President Duterte, who is in the Netherlands until July 23, also criticized her father’s former allies, lamenting their absence during his arrest. She clarified that Senator Imee Marcos remains supportive, noting her meeting with Duterte’s lead counsel in The Hague. ICA/CAM/Expat Media