The International Criminal Court (ICC) has denied the request of former President Rodrigo Duterte for interim release.
“The Chamber finds that Mr. Duterte’s detention continues to remain necessary,” the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I stated in its decision.
The tribunal emphasized that it must ensure Duterte’s presence during the trial for crimes against humanity filed against him.
From the beginning of the proceedings, Duterte’s camp has questioned his arrest and detention by the ICC, describing it as “kidnapping.”
The ICC also noted that public criticisms from the former president’s family regarding his arrest and detention in The Hague contributed to its decision to reject the interim release request. His family had called for his return to the Philippines.
The court further cited statements made by Vice President Sara Duterte in her speeches criticizing the ICC’s detention of her father.
The tribunal underscored that Duterte himself had earlier said he would return to Davao City if his plea for interim release were granted — a claim that contradicted his lawyer’s statement that he would instead remain under the custody of a host country willing to accommodate him.