Davao City, Philippines – Following the postponement of the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmation hearing on the crimes against humanity against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, calls for his interim release as well as the indefinite adjournment of his case grew stronger.
Two weeks before the initial hearing set on September 23rd, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I decided to postpone the hearing accepting the defense’s appeal that Duterte is not fit to stand trial due to deteriorating cognitive conditions.
Amid adjournment requests, the Chamber only indefinitely postponed the confirmation hearing, as they waited for new updates before coming up with new actions regarding the case.
In the Philippines, the Duterte’s made another move once again raising the alleged illegal arrest against Duterte.
On Monday, September 15, Davao CIty Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao eight counts of kidnapping cases against some top officials of the current administration.
These cases are about the alleged illegality of the arrest in March, as the Philippines is not under the Rome Statute’s scope, with the country withdrawing membership in 2019.
Among the officials accused of kidnapping are:
• Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla
• National Security Adviser Eduardo Año
• Department of National Defense (DND) secretary Gilbert Teodoro
• Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Boying Remulla
• DOJ USEC Nicholas Felix Ty
Among the respondents are also:
• Former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Rommel Marbil
• Former CIDG Director and Former PNP Chief Gen Nicolas Torre III
• Philippine Special Envoy for Transnational Crime (SETC) Hon. Markus Lacanilao
• Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, Executive Director Anthony Alcantara
• Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon
• PNP’s Directorate for Comptrollership Director and former PNP Spokesperson PBGen Jean Fajardo
The younger Duterte argued that the nature and process of the arrest is illegal and is a violation of the law.
The complaint also includesarbitrary detention, direct assault, usurpation of judicial function, and violation of Anti-Torture, and anti-Graft and Corrupt practices Act.—Mia Layaguin, Eurotv News