Lawyer Salvador Paulo Panelo Jr. on Monday said no decision from the International Criminal Court (ICC) can diminish former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legacy, describing the tribunal’s refusal to grant interim release as “a denial of humanity and justice.”
In a television interview, Panelo — counsel to Duterte’s daughter Kitty — said he assured the family that the former leader’s legacy would stand firm despite the ICC setback.
“I told them that… the day might not have gone our way, but the day of reckoning is coming. I know it’s coming, that the tide will turn. And that the legacy of the former President is secured and no action from the ICC can undo it,” he said.
Panelo criticized the ICC for treating Duterte as a threat even with his deteriorating health.
“How can this man in this condition be considered a flight risk? How can this man have the capacity to intimidate witnesses or interfere with investigations? How can this man be considered influential in a meaningful way if his own government violated its own constitution to deliver him to an international court without jurisdiction?” he said.
“That just tells you, to me, the denial of the interim release is not just a denial of provisional liberty, but also a denial of humanity and justice.”
He recounted that Duterte had already been visibly weak months before the ICC issued its arrest warrant in March.
“I had dinner with him with my dad… and Senator Bong Go. And at that time, he was already visibly weak. He needed to be assisted to stand and to walk. He literally had to be carried off the ground to be put inside his car,” he said, adding that the former President’s memory had deteriorated so much he had forgotten Go was running for Senate.
The ICC earlier ruled that the 80-year-old Duterte must remain detained at The Hague, rejecting a humanitarian appeal for provisional release as he awaits trial for alleged crimes against humanity tied to the drug war that killed thousands.