OSG seeks to represent PH gov't in petitions on Duterte's arrest

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is seeking to again represent the government in petitions filed with the Supreme Court (SC) over former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In an eight page manifestation dated December 1, the OSG said that it enters its appearance anew as counsel for all the respondents.

To recall, the OSG under former Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra recused itself from petitions filed by former President Rodrigo Duterte's children, who are seeking his release and return from The Hague, Netherlands.

In recusing itself, the OSG stated it “may not be able to effectively represent respondents in these cases” due to its firm stance that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s legal counsel in his and Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s petition seeking his release, said the reentry of the OSG “constitutes an abrupt and unexplained shift” from the earlier recusal.

“The OSG re-entered the case without providing any justification for abandoning its original institutional stance. This return to the case has the effect of negating the OSG’s own sworn representations to the SC and disregards the institutional limits that the OSG itself invoked,” Atty. Israelito Torreon said in a statement.

“Institutional positions cannot be abandoned and revived on an ad hoc basis, depending on the political weather. The OSG cannot recuse today, then resurrect itself tomorrow,” he later added.

In March, the former president was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for alleged crimes against humanity.

He is now detained at The Hague, Netherlands.

The ICC Appeals Chamber recently denied Duterte’s appeal on the rejection of his request for interim release.

Government records show that there were at least 6,200 drug suspects killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but several human rights groups have refuted this and say that the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News