‘Sobrang napasama’: Duterte family remarks hurt interim release bid - ICC lawyer
Metro Manila, Philippines - Statements made by members of the Duterte family may have worsened former President Rodrigo Duterte’s chances of securing interim release from the International Criminal Court (ICC), said ICC-accredited lawyer Joel Butuyan.
In an interview on The Newsmaker, Butuyan said the ICC judges based their finding of Duterte’s “flight risk” partly on the public remarks of his relatives, including Vice President Sara Duterte.
“All the pieces of evidence that were considered by the court on whether or not Mr. Duterte is a flight risk - that actually came from the mouths of his relatives and colleagues,” Butuyan said.
“The court particularly cited the first hearing when former Executive Secretary Medialdea said that Mr. Duterte was kidnapped,” he added.
The ICC ruling also cited Sara Duterte’s statements that called out a collusion between the ICC and the Philippine government and her remarks that suggested her father wanted to “return to Davao City” if released.
“There were so many of these statements that came from the relatives of Mr. Duterte himself that were used by the ICC to say that he remains a flight risk,” Butuyan added.
When asked if the family’s remarks hurt Duterte’s case, Butuyan replied: “Sobrang nakasama talaga dahil kumbaga, nagisa si former President Duterte sa mantika ng kanyang mga anak, kamag-anak at mga kaibigan.”
[Transition: That really made things worse — the former president was practically “fried in oil” by the words of his own children, relatives, and friends.]
Health condition not enough
Butuyan noted that the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber also rejected Duterte’s argument that his age and health should merit temporary freedom.
“The court itself said it considered the argument that Mr. Duterte is entitled to interim release for humanitarian reasons because he is 80 years old and sickly,” he explained. “But the judges found no reason to release him since he already has access to doctors and nurses while under ICC custody.”
The lawyer said the court was “not convinced” that Duterte’s physical or cognitive condition outweighed the risks of flight, witness interference, or possible continued crimes if released.
