The prosecution of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked its pre-trial chamber to reject former president Rodrigo Duterte’s renewed request for interim release, citing the need for his continued detention and his family’s attempts to delegitimize the ICC proceedings.

In an eight-page document filed Aug. 28 but uploaded to the ICC website on Sept. 12, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang maintained that it remains “necessary” for the ICC to continue holding the former chief executive in detention.

“The continued detention of Mr. Duterte remains necessary as the conditions set out in articles 58(1)(a) and 58(1)(b)(i)-(iii) of the Statute continue to be met,” the document read.

His detention, Niang said, is “to ensure his appearance at trial, to ensure that he does not obstruct or endanger the investigation or court proceedings, and to prevent him from continuing with the commission of crimes or related crimes which are within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (the “Court” or “ICC”) and which arise out of the same circumstances.”

The prosecutor also pointed out several incidences that support the necessity of Duterte’s continued detention, such as his family’s rejection of the court’s jurisdiction.

It cited several incidences wherein Vice President Sara Duterte claimed that the ICC “kidnapped” her father, that it was “illegal” to bring him to The Hague, that she jokingly plans to break him out of jail with a colleague, that the ICC was colluding with the Philippine government, and that the government of the Netherlands joined in the “extraordinary rendition” of her father.

The document likewise referred to the Vice President’s statement that her father “repeatedly” told her he would want to return to the Philippines if he’s granted interim release.

“Mr. Duterte’s desire to return to Davao City, if granted interim release, echoes his family’s stated intention to ensure his return to the Philippines,” the prosecution said.

“These examples demonstrate a pattern of the Duterte family refusing to accept the legitimacy of the legal proceedings against Mr. Duterte and should militate against granting his interim release,” it added.

It also questioned the defense’s claims that the former president can give “consent to specific conditions” of his requested interim release if he is not fit to stand trial, which was the argument they used to request for an indefinite adjournment of the confirmation of charges hearing.

“The Prosecution would strongly oppose any application for Mr. Duterte to attend the confirmation hearing remotely and notes with concern the Defence’s contradictory submissions that Mr. Duterte could waive his right to appear at the confirmation hearing while simultaneously claiming that he is not competent to stand trial,” Niang wrote.

The former president—who faces a crimes against humanity of murder charges for the allegedly state-sponsored killings of drug suspects during his administration—was supposed to face the pre-trial chamber on Sept. 23.

The hearing, however, was postponed following a request for adjournment by the defense, citing Duterte’s deteriorating health.