* Duterte has no immediate plans to return to PH By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – In a latest bulletin from the Hague, the ICC issued a call to the public to submit additional names and information of victims of alleged extra-judicial killings relating to the case of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The move is an apparent indication that there is not enough evidence to prove FPRRD committed crime against humanity.
It can be recalled that when Duterte was kidnapped and shanghaied to the Hague, Netherlands, the charge that was read before him by the Court only cited 43 alleged victims in the course of the drug was for the period of six years.
The announcement which was posted on the website of the ICC reads; “The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is investigating allegations of crimes against humanity perpetrated in the Philippines, including killings, torture and sexual violence, as part of the so-called War on Drugs campaign between November 2011 and March 2019.
The Office is appealing for direct witnesses to these incidents, including members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies who were involved in these incidents, to come forward and speak with members of the Office”.
In a related development the former President has no immediate plans to return to the Philippines as long as Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. remains in office, according to Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte.
Speaking to Duterte supporters outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Rep. Duterte said the family is praying for his father’s eventual return, but that the former president prefers to remain abroad for now.
“That is what we are all praying for—that he might be able to return to the Philippines. But according to him, he will stay here for now as long as Marcos is still the president,” the Davao lawmaker said.
Rep. Duterte also provided an update on the former President Duterte’s health, saying he is eating well and has gained some weight, though his legs have become thinner due to lack of exercise.
“Overall, he is healthy and being well cared for by the doctors inside (the ICC detention facility),” he added.
The former president, who is facing ICC proceedings related to his administration’s anti-drug campaign, has been staying in The Hague, Netherlands, while the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I reviews his case, including his health status.
Former President Duterte’s message to Filipinos, according to his eldest son, is to continue following the Constitution. “To our fellow citizens and the military, if you think the Filipino people are in danger, protect the Filipinos and the Philippines.”
The former president has remained largely out of public view since leaving office, focusing on his legal proceedings abroad while monitoring developments in Philippine politics and the welfare of the Filipino people.
Duterte supporters launched a signature campaign titled “Tay, Kami Naman!” on January 12 and 13, at Rizal Park on San Pedro Street in Davao City. Hundreds of residents and visitors expressed their support for the former president.(Ivy Tejano)
