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Country for Duterte interim release may be adjacent to The Hague —ICC-accredited lawyer
The country that may host former president Rodrigo Duterte for his interim release, if granted, may be adjacent to The Hague, a lawyer accredited by the International Criminal Court (ICC) said Sunday.
“Ang aking suspicion, 'yung mga country na karatig lang, adjacent or shares a border with The Netherlands 'yung pwedeng mag-agree [na i-host si Duterte],” Joel Ruiz Butuyan told Super Radyo dzBB.
(My suspicion is that the countries that may host Duterte are adjacent or share a border with The Netherlands.)
“Kailangan member-country [ng ICC] ang mag-a-agree na magho-host sa kanya (Duterte). Kailangan sumunod sa mga utos ng ICC,” he added.
(The country that agrees to host Duterte should be an ICC member state because it needs to follow the mandate of the ICC.)
Butuyan made the statement after Duterte’s camp asked the ICC that he be released to an undisclosed country, which his lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, said had agreed to take the former president in.
Signed by Kaufman, the request also said that the prosecution has confirmed its non-opposition to the former president's interim release to the country, yet to be made public, "on the understanding that the terms and conditions set out in Annex A to this filing would be met."
The prosecution said it will answer before the ICC, as it was asked to comment on Duterte’s request.
Duterte is facing crimes against humanity charges before the ICC 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.
“Ang lumalabas, the prosecutors will agree only if the conditions they specified are met. Hindi pa sila nag-a-agree,” Butuyan said.
(It appears that the prosecutors will agree only if the conditions they specified are met. They haven't agreed yet.)
Butuyan said among these conditions are that Duterte will not speak with anyone outside his family and he will not use the internet or a mobile phone.
Cause of 'great concern' among EJK vitcims kin
Butuyan also noted that Duterte’s release would cause “great concern” to the families of the victims of the extrajudicial killings during the former president’s war on drugs.
“Talagang malaking concern 'yan kung makakalabas siya. Even nu'ng naaresto si Mr. Duterte, takot pa rin ang mga biktima na lumabas at mag-participate sa ICC proceedings. Mas lalong takot silang maging testigo,” Butuyan said.
“Ngayong lumalabas na magkakaroon ng interim release, lalong matatakot ang mga 'yan (mga biktima),” he aded.
(His release would really cause great concern. Even when Duterte was arrested, the victims were already scared to go out and participate in the ICC proceedings, more so to stand to testify. Now that there’s an interim release, the victims would be even more scared.)
The interim release would also “interfere” with the ICC proceedings, Butuyan said.
“It will also cause reputational damage on the part of the ICC and the prosecutor, kung ganyan ang mangyayari (It that will happen),” he added.
However, he noted that those who were granted interim release did not have a case as grave as Duterte’s.
“'Yung mga kaso na nabigyan ng interim release ay hindi kasing seryoso nung kay Mr. Duterte. 'Yung mga interference with the administration of justice dahil nag-intimidate ng witnesses. Hindi ganon (alleged involvement in the deaths connected to his war on drugs),” Butuyan said.
(The cases that were granted interim release are not as serious as those of Mr. Duterte, like interference with the administration of justice because of intimidating witnesses, unlike Duterte’s [alleged involvement in the deaths connected to his war on drugs].)
Fake news
Butuyan also refuted the news that a senator from the Philippines will be able to bring back the former president to the country.
“'Yung balitang may senador na puwedeng (ibalik si Duterte sa Pilipinas), sobrang fake news,” Butuyan said.
“Itong kasong ito ay hindi at all political. Ito ay isang paglilitis sa krimen na sobrang karumal-dumal,” he added.
(The news that a senator will be able to bring back the former president to the Philippines is fake news. This case is not political. It is a judgment of a grave crime.)
During her visit to Malaysia, Vice President Sara Duterte said she is bringing with her the president's sister, Senator Imee Marcos, wherever she goes, as the latter will be the one who will bring her father, the former president, back to the Philippines. —KG/RF, GMA Integrated News
