FORMER President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) was kidnapped and brought to Netherlands where the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based, his daughter Kitty Duterte said in her social media post.
“There has been no due process,” caregiver Duds Quibin, 50, told Agence France Presse (AFP). “This is kidnapping. They just put him on a plane and brought him here (The Hague),” Strait Times reported.
Duterte was not accorded with due process before he was hailed to the private jet to bring him to the Hague, Netherlands.
Duterte’s former executive secretary lawyer Bingbon Medialdea said in a post-Pre-trial hearing in the Hague, “To us lawyers this would be called an extrajudicial rendition – to the less legally inclined it was pure and simple kidnapping. My client was denied all access to legal recourse in the country of his citizenship and this – all in the name of political score settling.”
Former Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque had this to say: “Secondly, we are very much disappointed that the court did not address the issue of kidnapping as a means to divest the court of jurisdiction. We think that the ICC should again set an example in promoting international justice, and when kidnapping is allowed as a means of acquiring jurisdiction over the jurisdiction of the accused, we think this too is a travesty of justice.”
Roque and Vice-President Sara Z. Duterte, who flew to The Hague, Netherlands, were not able to meet PRRD immediately and it took them about 48 hours to finally see the ex-president.
The president’s daughter (Kitty), together with her mother, was with her father when he was arrested upon his arrival from Hong Kong where he met the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).
Duterte said he was “responsible” and will face charges of crimes against humanity over his war on drugs when he was the president. But he decided to withdraw (in 2019) the country’s membership with the so-called Rome Statute.
“I am the one who led our law enforcement and military. I said that I will protect you and I will be responsible for all of this,” Mr. Duterte said in a video shared on his and a close adviser’s Facebook pages as he was about to land in the Netherlands.
The comments of alleged kidnapping were uttered as the former president was not accorded with due process.
Duterte’s arrest has triggered a massive rallies all over the country, in big cities like Butuan, Davao, Surigao, Tandag, Siargao, Polomolok, Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu City, Tagbilaran city and other places.
In these mass actions, some burnt Pres. Bongbong Marcos’ effigy, others asked him to resign, some yelling Duterte’s name as angry mob poured their disappointment over what they perceived as illegal arrest of Duterte.
In other countries, like the US, New York Filipinos have launched their initiative mass rally and campaigned for signature urging US President Trump to bring back Duterte home. Filipinos in the Hague accompanied by some foreign also held rallies and shouting the nae f Duterte to show support to the ex-president.
Some families who are avid supporters flew from London to Netherlands to show support to Duterte, Norris Oculam, ABACA chair, told this writer exclusively. There may be others from other countries who did the same, he added.
Former executive secretary lawyer Medialdea was quoted as saying there was no hard copy of arrest warrant served to PRRD.
CIDG director Police officer Nicolas Torre III only read from his cell phone the said warrant of arrest. (rvo)
