After toughing it out in prison for three months, the 80-year-old Duterte has reached his limit. The International Criminal Court at The Hague realizes something is wrong and if they don't release him soon, there may be serious consequences.
Daughter Sara gained an advantage in the impeachment case, and after Duterte was held in The Hague for a full three months, progress was made in the case at the International Criminal Court, with hopes of temporary freedom.
[Duterte's health is 'getting worse' after toughing it out in prison for 3 months]
Duterte's legal team is applying for temporary release, stating that the conditions for continuing to detain Duterte are no longer applicable.
The lawyer emphasized that Duterte does not pose a flight risk. To strengthen this argument, they specifically pointed out that Duterte is an 80-year-old man with "grave" health concerns, and he is no longer serving as the President of the Philippines, lacking any political power to threaten witnesses.
However, the lawyer only described Duterte's condition as "getting worse," omitting specific details in public documents.
They urged the International Criminal Court to respond quickly, as this request is "urgent," suggesting that if detained further, Duterte will not be able to hold on much longer.
Moreover, the lawyer questioned whether detaining Duterte for the past three months was appropriate, as generally, pre-trial detention is not the default measure of the International Criminal Court unless there is an "obvious risk," which Duterte may not meet.
[Prosecutors do not oppose temporarily releasing Duterte]
We know that Duterte was handed over to The Hague by the Philippine National Police in cooperation with Interpol, meaning the mastermind behind this was the Marcos government, and the International Criminal Court was happy to see it happen.
The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court does not oppose temporarily releasing Duterte but proposes a condition: Duterte can be released temporarily but cannot return to the Philippines; instead, he must go to a designated "cooperating country" until his trial in the second half of the year.
So, while this may seem like regaining freedom, it's actually being placed under house arrest in another location. Even so, it's better than remaining detained in The Hague.
A detail worth noting is that the name of this "cooperating country" has been removed from the publicly released documents, likely to avoid unnecessary trouble.
In recent months, many supporters of Duterte have been seen outside The Hague advocating for him. If they knew where Duterte would be transferred ahead of time, they might follow him there.
[The Hague has gathered many supporters of Duterte]
This unnamed cooperating country has confirmed its willingness to accept Duterte in principle, likely one of the European countries that have ratified the Rome Statute, and won't be far from The Hague.
Duterte also showed great cooperation, promising that if released, he would remain low-profile, not use social media or make public appearances, only allowing visits from family members, and not using any electronic devices.
In short, he accepts the label of "suspect" rather than using his current position as the newly elected mayor of Davao City to complicate matters further.
The situation remains unclear, but one thing is certain: Duterte's chances of getting off on jurisdictional disputes are very slim.
The International Criminal Court decided not to adopt this argument, citing that Duterte's iron-fisted anti-drug policies in Davao City and the "war on drugs" he launched nationwide were carried out when the Philippines was still a member of the Rome Statute.
[When Duterte launched the war on drugs, the Philippines was still a member of the Rome Statute]
However, due to the great controversy caused by these actions internationally, Duterte, as the then president, led the Philippines to withdraw from it. But the International Criminal Court determined that since the "war on drugs" occurred before the Philippines withdrew, it "retained jurisdiction."
Therefore, Duterte won't easily get off the hook and will likely have to fight hard in court to clear his name and return home safely.
The International Court has other considerations. Those on the wanted list alongside Duterte include Russian President Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.
However, the International Criminal Court lacks the ability to settle accounts with these two individuals. When attempting to hold Israel accountable, it immediately faced U.S. sanctions. Thus, it could only start with Duterte, a "soft target," hoping to salvage some of its international image. Therefore, it will not back down.
Meanwhile, the Philippines hasn't been idle. Since Marcos proposed reconciliation with Duterte, Duterte's family demanded that Old Du must return home safely. However, Marcos responded passively. Whether he has this intention is secondary; the key is that he lacks the capability.
[Du either recuperates or risks his life to keep fighting]
People say it's easy to invite a god but hard to send it away. For Marcos, it's easy to "send off" the former president Duterte with inside help from the International Criminal Court, but bringing him back would be no ordinary difficulty.
By now, Marcos can only put on a brave face and stubbornly refuse to yield on this issue. However, the Duterte family certainly won't let it go easily.
If temporarily released, Duterte essentially has two choices: either recuperate and wait quietly for the trial or prepare in advance and confront the International Criminal Court head-on.
In fact, when Duterte was taken to The Hague, he had already put his life on the line. If his life can pave the way for his children's careers, Duterte would probably be delighted. It won't be surprising if he takes drastic measures.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7515334748324086324/
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