Chief Justice cancels trip to The Hague

MANILA, Philippines — Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has canceled his planned official trip to The Hague, according to the Supreme Court’s Office of the Spokesperson.

Gesmundo was originally scheduled to travel to The Hague for the signing of the Terms of Reference with The Hague Academy of International Law.

On March 10, Gesmundo had issued a Special Order that assigned Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen as acting chief justice in anticipation of his trip.

In a statement, SC spokesperson Camille Sue Mae Ting said the order “did not take effect.”

“The Chief Justice decided to remain in the Philippines,” she said.

This comes amid the legal battle over the controversial arrest and detention of former president Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague as he faces proceedings for crimes against humanity charges.

Duterte is officially under the custody of the International Criminal Court and now at its detention center in Scheveningen.

Multiple urgent petitions have been filed by Duterte family members and allies before the SC.

In their petition that sought a TRO against the arrest, Duterte, along with Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, accused the administration of President Marcos of committing “grave abuse of discretion” by facilitating the ICC’s probe into Duterte’s bloody drug war.

Duterte’s children have also petitioned the SC for their father’s immediate release through a writ of habeas corpus.

They argued that his arrest violates Philippine sovereignty, citing the country’s 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

In Duterte and Dela Rosa’s petition, which was filed on the day the International Criminal Police Organization served the arrest warrant, the SC, after deliberation, did not issue a TRO.

It ordered respondents, led by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, to file their comment within 10 days.

Meanwhile, on the petitions filed by Duterte’s children, the SC issued a show cause order directing the respondents also led by Bersamin to explain why a writ of habeas corpus should not be issued.

The explanation is expected to be filed today by the Office of the Solicitor General.