SARA DUTERTE

Vice President Sara Duterte clarified on Friday that the defense team of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, did not reach out to the Australian government regarding his request for interim release from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This statement addresses recent reports suggesting that the Australian government had declined to host the former President should the ICC grant his provisional release.

“I’d like to clarify that the defense team of President Duterte never reached out to the Australian government to discuss about this interim release. There is no application from former President Duterte for interim release in Australia,” the Vice President told reporters in an interview in Samal.

Former President Duterte’s counsel, Nicolas Kaufman, had filed an appeal for interim release on June 12. The document noted that two undisclosed and redacted governments had expressed their “advance and principled agreement” to receive Duterte. Vice President Duterte confirmed that Australia is not among these two countries. “Albeit redacted, I have to confirm that the two countries, neither of which is Australia,” she stated.

An interim release, also known as a provisional release, is a temporary discharge for an accused person who has been detained by the court. Currently, ICC records show interim release agreements in place with the Kingdom of Belgium and the Argentine Republic.

The elder Duterte is presently held in custody at the ICC detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands, pending his trial for alleged crimes against humanity committed during his administration’s drug war. He was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 11 and flown out of the country on the same day. His pre-trial hearing was held on March 14, with his confirmation of charges scheduled for September 23.

The Vice President also mentioned that she recently received an email from an agency of the Australian government informing her of their refusal to receive her father. She expressed confusion regarding the basis of this refusal, given that no formal application had been made to Australia. Duterte had previously stated in Melbourne on June 22 that while Australia was on a list of countries considered by the lawyers for interim release, her personal trip to the country was not for that purpose. She also disclosed that a request for an informal meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on June 23 was declined due to prior commitments.