The International Criminal Court on Friday, November 28, rejected a request by former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte to be released from detention ahead of his trial for crimes against humanity tied to his deadly war on drugs. Presiding judge Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza said during the hearing that Dutertes lawyers had not provided adequate safeguards to justify releasing the 80-year-old from custody in The Hague. Dutertes defence team, appealing an earlier refusal, had argued he should be granted temporary humanitarian parole due to his deteriorating health. But the court found no basis for leniency. The presiding judge ruled that the conditions for release proposed were not sufficient to mitigate the risks it found in relation to Mr Dutertes interim release, adding that the chamber also rejected the defences argument that Mr Duterte should be released for humanitarian reasons. Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was detained in Manila on March 11 before being transferred to the ICCs Scheveningen prison in the Netherlands. He appeared frail and barely spoke during his first court appearance via video link. The charges stem from his anti-drug campaign, which human rights organisations say resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings. The court is yet to determine whether Duterte is medically fit to stand trial. In October, judges rejected defence arguments that the ICC lacked jurisdiction to prosecute him for three counts of crimes against humanity. One charge concerns 19 killings between 2013 and 2016, when Duterte served as mayor of Davao City. A second charge relates to 14 killings of alleged drug bosses in 2016 and 2017 during his presidency, while the third covers 43 killings of suspected low-level drug users and dealers. In Manila, a spokeswoman for President Ferdinand Marcos said the Philippines government respects the ICCs decision. Dutertes daughter, Sara Duterte, currently serves as vice president. Human rights advocates welcomed the ruling. Families of victims gathered at a university in Manila to watch the hearing by video and erupted in applause when the court announced its decision. Dahlia Cuartero, whose son Jesus was killed during Dutertes drug war and would have turned 33 on Saturday, told AFP: We really prayed for (Duterte) not to be granted an interim release. This is the best birthday gift for him.
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