Duterte kin ask SC to compel gov’t to bring him home

Metro Manila, Philippines - Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s children - Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” and Veronica “Kitty” - asked the Supreme Court (SC) to compel the government to bring their father back to the Philippines from The Hague, Netherlands.

Duterte was arrested with a warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity linked to his drug war on Tuesday, March 11. That same night, he was flown to The Hague to stand trial.

Kitty and Baste’s separate petitions for habeas corpus were filed with the SC on Wednesday, March 12.

Among the respondents are Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief PGen Rommel Marbil, and PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Director PGen Nicolas Torre III.

Kitty’s petition was filed by former presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo and son Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr.

“Sila ang lumabag ng batas. Kinuha nila pwersahan ang presidente. Isinakay nila sa eroplano laban sa kanyang kalooban. Dinala nila sa isang bansa,” the older Panelo told reporters after the filing.

[Translation: The government violated the law. They forcibly took the president. They made him board a plane against his will and brought him to another country.]

“Ang disenteng gobyerno, pinapayagan ang mga nasasakdal mabigyan sila ng pagkakataon na idulog sa korte ‘yung complaint laban sa kanila. ‘Di ‘yun nangyari obviously at sana ‘di pa huli ang lahat,” Panelo Jr. said.

[Translation: A decent government allows a defendant to be given a chance to appeal the complaint against them to the court. That obviously did not happen and hopefully, it’s not yet too late.]

The SC conducted a special raffle for both petitions.

For La Salle Bacolod College of Law Dean Ralph Sarmiento, the petitions seeking relief for Duterte may be declared moot or no longer relevant.

“If the Supreme Court will issue a judgment, which it can no longer be implemented because former President Duterte is already outside of our jurisdiction, surrendering to the Hague, then useless ‘yung naging desisyon ng [would be the decision of the] Supreme Court,” Sarmiento told NewsWatch Plus.

As of posting, independent flight trackers showed Duterte’s aircraft is bound for Rotterdam, Netherlands from a layover in Dubai.