Duterte swears he won’t escape if released

MANILA, Philippines — As his legal team prepares for the upcoming confirmation of charges hearing at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sept. 23, detained former president Rodrigo Duterte maintained he would not evade justice and just wanted to return to Davao City if granted interim release, his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte said.

Under the Rome Statute, a detainee of the ICC can file for an interim release and can be granted temporary freedom if they can comply with the requirements.

In Kuwait, the Vice President said that her father would rather be in Davao City than anywhere else.

“It is clear. He told me that repeatedly,” she recalled of her recent visit at the ICC detention center in The Hague.

One of the requirements for the interim release is the assurance of the prevention of any potential obstruction or intimidation of witnesses.

The Vice President claimed that her father has proven that he does not intimidate his critics.

“That is very clear. (Former) president Duterte has been attacked by (former senator Antonio) Trillanes for a long time. Trillanes has also been naming his witnesses. But, has anything happened to them? Nothing. Nothing ever happened to them,” she said.

Meanwhile, the ex-president’s lawyers are getting ready to file for another motion, which the Vice President did not specify as it has not yet been submitted to the court.