Duterte appeal for interim release a ‘moral test’ for ICC – group
MANILA, Philippines — The Duterte Panagutin Campaign Network on Tuesday tagged former president Rodrigo Duterte’s appeal for interim release as a “profound moral test” for the International Criminal Court (ICC), especially with how it would affect victims of his administration’s war on drugs.
READ: Rodrigo Duterte appeals for an interim release from ICC detention
“The motion for the interim release of Rodrigo Roa Duterte is not a simple procedural matter; it is a profound moral test for the International Criminal Court and a moment of grave concern for the thousands who have endured the lethal results of his reign,” the campaign network’s convenor Atty. Jojo Lacanilao said in a statement.
“To grant him freedom pending trial would be to silence the voices of the dead, endanger the living, and reward impunity at the highest level,” he added.
Lacanilao pointed out several reasons why the ICC should refuse Duterte’s appeal, starting with the risk it would pose to the witnesses in the case.
According to Lacanilao, the argument that Duterte no longer wields influence holds no water, citing his role as Davao City Mayor-elect, as well as his family’s political power.
“The ICC Prosecutor’s Office itself has sought extensions to protect witness identities, acknowledging an ‘objective risk to their safety’,” said Lacanilao.
“Freeing the man they believe has the capability and intention to cause harm, would turn that risk into a terrifying certainty, ensuring that justice is not only delayed but permanently denied,” he added.
Lacanilao also pointed out the gravity of the crimes against humanity Duterte is accused of, stating that there is no precedent for granting provisional release to an individual accused of atrocities.
He stressed that Duterte has not shown remorse for the effects of his drug war, and has in fact remained “defiantly proud” of it—as shown in the former president’s testimony before the Senate where he himself made admissions about his involvement in extrajudicial killings.
Lacanilao said Duterte’s release would allow him to have a platform to “incite violence once again.”
“The risk is not merely that he will flee or tamper with evidence, but that he will actively continue his crimes, further entrenching the culture of impunity that has left a bloody trail in the Philippines. His release would not be a humanitarian gesture; it would be an act of endangerment to the very people the Court is sworn to protect,” Lacanilao said.
“For the sake of the thousands of victims and for the future of international justice, he must remain in detention and the case must proceed carefully and resolutely,” he added.
The ICC currently has custody of Duterte after he was arrested and sent to The Hague for crimes against humanity he allegedly committed during his administration’s bloody war against drugs.
READ: War on drugs: The violence, scars, doubts and families it left behind
The war on drugs resulted in the death of at least 6,000 people dead, with human rights groups reporting at least 20,000.
