Vice President Sara Duterte revealed that there is at least one country that agreed to host former president Rodrigo Duterte if the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) pre-trial chamber will approve his interim release application.
VP Sara reveals one country agreed to host FPRRD for interim release
Former president Rodrigo Duterte (Photo from the International Criminal Court)
Speaking to the Filipino community in Japan over the weekend, the official explained that she needed to personally negotiate with this country as she could not trust anyone to do it for her.
“Meron ng isang bansa na nagsabi na okay lang na dito nyo ilagay si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte (One country already agrees to host former president Rodrigo Duterte),” she shared.
Admittedly, the official said that it took a while before she was able to find a country that would help her family.
“So medyo matagal ‘yun dahil hindi madali makipag-negosasyon sa isang bansa. Pero sabi ko nga dahil sa pagdarasal ninyo, may mga good news na nangyayari (So, that took a while because it isn’t easy to negotiate with another country. But as I said, because of your prayers, there is good news),” she added.
Duterte, however, could not disclose which country agreed to host her father. She only clarified that it is not Japan.
The former president’s legal defense team has two pending motions before the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I: the jurisdiction challenge and the interim release application.
The Vice President argued that under the ICC’s rules, her father must be granted interim release.
“Nakalagay po sa batas ng ICC, bakit hindi binibigay ang interim release sa isang akusado? Una, kapag siya ay posibleng magtatago, o mawawala na lang bigla (Under the ICC rules, why would an accused not be granted interim release? First, if there is a possibility of him to hide or escape),” she explained.
“Si dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte po, ay walang balak magtago (Former president Rodrigo Duterte has no plans to hide),” she stressed.
The official assured that all her father wants to do is return to Davao City and spend the rest of his remaining days there.