Pulong files petition for ex-Pres. Duterte’s release

Davao City Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte has filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking former President Rodrigo Duterte’s release from what he argued was illegal confinement and detention. 

The 56-page petition was filed on March 12, the same day that Veronica “Kitty” Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian ''Baste'' Duterte filed separate petitions for habeas corpus seeking the return of their father to the Philippines after he was flown to The Hague, Netherlands.

In the petition, Pulong Duterte asked the SC to issue a writ of habeas corpus and for his father to be discharged from confinement and detention.

He also asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction to direct the government to desist from cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

The lawmaker asked that the writs be served to the police officers who accompanied Duterte to his flight by the Consul of the Republic of the Philippines in the United Arab Emirates or The Netherlands.

“After giving due course to the petition, annul the acts of the respondents affirming cooperation with the ICC and Interpol, and make permanent the prohibition to cooperate with the same,” the petition read.

His counsel is former presidential spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque.

Meanwhile, the respondents in the petition are Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, and Philippine National Police Chief Police Major General Rommel Marbil.

Pulong Duterte argued that his father was unlawfully arrested and is being illegally confined and detained.

He said that the respondents committed grave abuse of discretion when they cooperated with the enforcement of the ICC’s warrant against the former president as the country is no longer a member of the ICC.

“Any mandate given to any ICC prosecutor and any arrest order issued by the ICC after our withdrawal from the Rome Statute is patently unconstitutional,” it read.

On Tuesday, Rodrigo Duterte was arrested for crimes against humanity based on a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC that was coursed through the Interpol.

Malacañang has said that it is the prerogative of the Philippine government to comply with its commitments with the Interpol.

—AOL, GMA Integrated News