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Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star
June 19, 2025 | 12:00am
Former president Rodrigo Duterte attends first ICC hearing via videolink.
Philippine Star via Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines — A group of human rights lawyers representing some of the victims of the Duterte administration’s deadly campaign against illegal drugs has warned against granting the interim release request of the former president.
The Center for International Law (CenterLaw), which is headed by International Criminal Court accredited counsels Joel Butuyan and Gilbert Andres, said granting the request of former president Rodrigo Duterte puts those who have participated in the investigation “at unacceptable levels of risk and harm.”
“As counsel for many of the victims of his violent ‘war on drugs,’ we are gravely concerned that his release from custody will directly threaten the safety, security, dignity and privacy of victims in the Philippines and abroad, as well as jeopardize the integrity of his pending prosecution for crimes against humanity,” the group said in a statement.
“As it stands, Duterte’s current detention has not even stymied the continuous harassment, intimidation and large-scale vilification leveled by his supporters at those involved in ICC proceedings in the Philippines and The Hague,” it added.
For CenterLaw, the age and health conditions cited by Duterte’s legal team should not obscure the pursuit of truth and justice for the thousands who died in the drug war.
It added that the undisclosed state that expressed willingness to accept to Duterte “lacks any accountability to or scrutiny by the international community … and thereby amplifies the risk to victims and witnesses if his terms of release go unenforced.”
“Several crucial facts cannot be ignored: Duterte once held the most powerful political office in the Philippines and, in that position, consistently silenced his opposition and retaliated against witnesses to his crimes. Even while detained in The Hague, he remains a threat,” CenterLaw said.
It also pointed out latest developments in the Philippines, particularly the delays in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of the former president.
“If the ICC follows this development by releasing Rodrigo Duterte, it will send a clear message to the Filipino public that the powerful are shielded by impunity while their victims remain without recourse or protection,” added CenterLaw.
