Former Philippine president Duterte to remain in detention at the Hague

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will remain in detention at The Hague, after the International Criminal Court (ICC) denied on Friday the appeal by Duterte’s lawyers to grant him provisional release – a move strongly opposed by human rights groups and families of victims of his brutal drug war.

Peruvian judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, who presided the ICC Chamber of Appeal, dismissed the argument by Duterte’s lawyer that the 80-year-old should be released due to his advanced age and alleged declining health.

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The judge said "the conditions for release proposed were not sufficient to mitigate the risks it found in relation to Mr Duterte's interim release".

The court also "rejected the defence's argument that Mr Duterte should be released for humanitarian reasons".

According to court filings, Duterte instructed and authorised “violent acts including murder to be committed against alleged criminals, including alleged drug dealers and users”

Duterte, who was president from 2016 to 2022, was detained in Manila on March 11 and taken to the ICC prison at Scheveningen, near The Hague. He appeared very weak, barely speaking, when he made his first court appearance by video.

The charges against Duterte have been made over the campaign against drug traffickers and consumers during his presidency that rights groups say left thousands dead.

The court is still to give a ruling on whether Duterte is fit to stand trial. A ruling in October rejected claims by his defence that the ICC was not competent to judge Duterte on three charges of crimes against humanity.

One of the charges concerns 19 murders committed between 2013 and 2016, when Duterte was mayor of Davao City. A second relates to 14 killings of alleged drug bosses in 2016 and 2017, when he was president. The third covers 43 killings of suspected low-level drug users or dealers.

Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidential term vary but the Philippine National Police put the figure at more than 6,000, while human rights groups said there were up to 30,000 killings.

(With inputs from AFP)

Angel Tesorero

angel@khaleejtimes.com

Angel Tesorero is Assistant Editor and designated funny guy in the newsroom, but dead serious about writing on transport, labour migration, and environmental issues. He is a food lover too.