Palace to Duterte counsel: Is he admitting the former president committed crimes?

''So in one way or another, the counsel admitted that the former President (Rodrigo Duterte) had committed such crimes? Just a question.''

This was Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro's response when asked about the move of the camp of former President Rodrigo Duterte to seek interim release to an undisclosed country due to humanitarian considerations.

''They will include that in their motion or petition Mr. Duterte will not continue to commit crimes. So, may pag-amin ba rito?'' said Castro. 

''If that's their strategy, sana lang po mapaniwala nila 'yung mga ICC judges at huwag nila masabi later na ang kanilang mga ipinangako dahil may pangako sila sa kanilang petisyon ay masabing nagbibiro lang sila katulad nang nangyari sa pangako sa jet ski,'' she added.

(If that's their strategy, I hope they can make the ICC judges believe them, and I hope they won't say that their promises were just jokes, just like what happened with the 'jet ski promise.')

To recall, Duterte had made a remark about riding a jet ski to the West Philippine Sea and telling the Chinese that it belonged to the Philippines. He later said that it was only a campaign joke. 

Castro said Malacañang would respect if the ICC will grant the Duterte camp's interim release request, noting that the matter is already in the body's hands.

The defense team, led by legal counsel Nicholas Kaufman, argued that Duterte would not imperil the proceedings nor continue to commit crimes.

According to the 16-page request, the country, which was redacted in the document, has agreed to take in the former leader, who is facing charges of crimes against humanity in connection with the killings under his war on drugs when he was mayor of Davao City and when he was president of the Philippines.

Duterte was arrested on March 11 in Manila, delivered to ICC custody on March 12, and detained at the ICC Detention Center on March 13.—AOL/ VAL, GMA Integrated News