The International Criminal Court (ICC) has
rejected former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s request for
interim release, ruling that he remains a flight risk and could
potentially influence witnesses if freed.
In a heavily redacted decision dated October 10,
ICC judges said that concerns over Duterte’s ability to abscond outweighed any
health-related issues presented by his defence.
“The Chamber finds that Mr. Duterte’s detention
continues to remain necessary,” the ruling stated.
Duterte, 80, faces three counts of crimes
against humanity related to his administration’s controversial “war on
drugs.” ICC prosecutors allege his involvement in at least 76 murders,
spanning his time as mayor of Davao City (2013–2016) and as President
(2016–2018).
He was arrested in Manila on March 11 and flown
to the Netherlands the same night, where he has since been held at the
ICC’s Scheveningen Prison in The Hague.
His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, argued that
Duterte suffers from “cognitive impairment in multiple domains” and is
medically unfit to stand trial, urging the court to postpone proceedings
indefinitely. Following Friday’s decision, Kaufman told AFP that the ruling was
“erroneous” and confirmed that an appeal had already been filed.
The ICC judges, however, noted that Duterte’s political
influence and family ties — including his daughter Sara Duterte, the
current Vice President of the Philippines — could enable him to evade
justice or intimidate witnesses, directly or indirectly.
While acknowledging medical documents submitted by the
defence, the court said they were insufficient to justify release,
adding that the ruling only pertained to detention status and not Duterte’s
fitness to stand trial.
The ICC has yet to set a date for the confirmation
of charges hearing, which will determine whether the case proceeds to a
full trial. Proceedings remain postponed indefinitely pending medical
evaluations of Duterte’s condition.
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