Senator Robin Padilla voiced his disappointment following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to deny former President Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal for interim release.
In a media interview on Friday, November 28, Padilla admitted that he was saddened by the court’s ruling.
“Malungkot siyempre. Kasi tagal kong inantay ‘yon, e. Nakatutok nga ako sa TV kanina, e. Kaya nga ako umalis sa plenary sandali,” he said.
He added, “Pero no’ng nagbabasa na ‘yong judge, sinasabi na niya ‘yong mga merits, sabi ko sa aking lawyer, wala na ‘to. Malungkot na ‘to. Depressed.”
During the ICC Appeals Chamber session held the same day, three appeals filed by Duterte’s camp were rejected, resulting in his continued detention in The Hague, Netherlands.
“The appeals chamber unanimously confirms the impugned decision,” Presiding Judge Luz Del Carmen Ibañez stated.
Meanwhile, both the Duterte family and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)—counsel for victims of the war on drugs—have accepted the ICC ruling.
Duterte remains detained at Scheveningen Prison in The Hague as he faces charges of crimes against humanity related to his anti-drug campaign.