Alan Cayetano seeks Rodrigo Duterte’s house arrest at PH embassy 

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday filed a Senate resolution urging the Philippine government to push for the interim release of former president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC), and enter into an agreement to have him placed under house arrest at the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands. 

Cayetano, who was Duterte’s running mate in the 2016 elections, noted in the resolution that despite withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the Philippines, through its embassy in The Hague, Netherlands “is not precluded from entering into an appropriate agreement with the ICC” to receive custody of Duterte should he be granted conditional release. 

The senator is thus proposing, among others, for the Philippine government to make an arrangement with the ICC for Duterte’s custody to be transferred to the premises of the embassy under a form of house arrest, modified house arrest, or any appropriate arrangement deemed suitable by the Court. 

Cayetano also said that the former president’s health is “in danger of deteriorating further,” considering his old age and “exclusion from any meaningful social interaction.” 

He argued that Duterte should be afforded the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty under both domestic and international law. 

“[T]o grant the former President interim release in the form of a house arrest or modified house arrest or any other appropriate arrangement, subject to conditions restricting liberty to be imposed by the ICC would be beneficial to his health, all while presenting no risk to the integrity of the ongoing trial,” the resolution read. 

Cayetano also said that Duterte—who is facing charges of crimes against humanity for the extrajudicial killings during his administration’s war on drugs—should be given “humane treatment” by the State in its good conscience. 

“[T]o allow the former President – who has worked tirelessly and selflessly for the welfare of the Filipino people – to spend his twilight years far from not only home, but also his family and friends, would be the height of injustice,” the resolution added. 

Duterte was arrested in the Philippines by local authorities on March 11, based on a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC. He is currently detained in the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague. 

His daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, earlier said that the former president has lost a lot of weight since his detention in The Hague, describing him now as “skin and bones.” 

She also said that her father has asked that his remains be cremated should he pass away while detained in The Hague.—LDF, GMA Integrated News