'A tragedy': Harold Duterte saddened by ICC's refusal to give Uncle Rody interim release
At A Glance
- A tragedy for the entire country. That's how Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat (PPP) Party-list Rep. Harold Duterte described the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to reject former president Rodrigo Duterte's request for interim release amid his crimes against humanity case.
Former president Rodrigo Duterte (PPAB)
A tragedy for the entire country.
That's how Pwersa ng Pilipinong Pandagat (PPP) Party-list Rep. Harold Duterte described the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to reject former president Rodrigo Duterte’s request for interim release amid his crimes against humanity case.
Rep. Duterte is the nephew of the 80-year-old former chief executive.
"In the twilight of his life, former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte remains detained in a foreign land—eight long months after this administration seized him, surrendered him, and gave him up to the ICC without regard for due process or national dignity," the neophyte congressman said in a statement Saturday, Nov. 29.
"It is a tragedy not only for his family, but for an entire nation that once stood proudly behind a leader who dedicated his life to protecting our people and our sovereignty," Rep. Duterte said.
The PPP Party-list solon said that amid the sadness caused by the development over at The Hague in the Netherlands where the ICC is located, he remained "hopeful".
"We draw strength from every Filipino who refuses to forget and who continue to stand with Tatay Digong during this most difficult chapter," noted Rep. Duterte, an independent member of the House of Representatives.
"Now, more than ever, we must remain vigilant, united, and steadfast. We look forward to the day when Tatay Digong can finally come home—where he belongs, among the people he served with courage and conviction," he said.
"The [PPP] stands firmly behind Tatay Digong and the entire Duterte family. We remain unwavering in our hope and in our prayers that justice will prevail and that better days are ahead for all Filipinos," stressed Rep. Duterte.
The elder Duterte is being tried by the United Nations (UN)-backed court for his alleged hand in his administration's bloody war on drugs.