Australia has refused to host former Philippine President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte should the International Criminal Court (ICC) approve his petition for interim release.
According to a report by Philstar.com, Australia is aware of Duterte’s request to be provisionally released from the ICC detention center in The Hague, Netherlands. However, it has not agreed to host the former president, nor is it even considering doing so.
Australia regards Duterte’s request for provisional release as an issue for the ICC to evaluate under the Rome Statute, the foundational treaty of the court, to which Australia is also a signatory.
In Duterte’s petition for interim release filed on June 12, his legal team mentioned that one country had agreed to receive him under provisional liberty and would enforce conditions attached to his release. The document, however, did not identify the country in question.
Earlier, Vice President Sara Duterte stated during an interview in Melbourne that Australia was one of the countries her father’s lawyers were considering as a potential host. She had sought a meeting with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, but it did not push through due to scheduling conflicts.
Meanwhile, the ICC prosecution has objected to Duterte’s request, arguing that the proposed host country lacks an “extensive history of cooperation” with the court and might not effectively enforce the conditions of the interim release. (ZIA LUNA)
