BICOL Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Tuesday said the Philippine government has no authority to bring former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte back from the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and stressed that a Senate resolution calling for his return carries no legal weight.
“Well, I think we have to be very frank na there’s nothing that the Philippine government can do today to bring the former president back home,” Ridon, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP) who studied public policy and business in Harvard University told reporters, in an interview.
“Kasi ho talagang [ICC] na po ‘yung magpapasya kung makakauwi ba o hindi ang dating pangulo,” he added.
Ridon made the statement in response to a resolution filed by Sen. Robinhood Padilla—signed by Senators Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go—urging the “immediate return” of Duterte from The Hague. All three senators are allies of the former president under the PDP-Laban party.
According to Ridon, the gravity of the charges against Duterte places the matter firmly under international jurisdiction.
“To be very clear, meron hong batayan bakit nasa [ICC] si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. He is being made to answer for extrajudicial killings under the Duterte drug war. So mabigat po ‘yung paratang na ‘yun,” Ridon pointed out.
Duterte, 80, was arrested on March 11 after arriving in Manila from Hong Kong, pursuant to an ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the killings committed during his administration’s bloody “war on drugs.”
He was flown to the ICC detention facility in The Hague the same day and appeared via video before ICC judges on March 14. A hearing to confirm the charges is set for September 23.
Ridon said the Senate resolution, while symbolic, holds no influence over the ICC’s judicial process.
“Of course, they are free, obviously, to do a Senate resolution. But we have to be very frank. It is not within the power of the Philippine government to send the former president back home,” he reiterated.
Padilla, in filing the resolution, cited supposed clamor from Mindanao and recent pro-Duterte rallies.
Asked about this, Ridon replied: “Yeah, but ano na ho ‘yun kumbaga, I don’t think it is for the Philippine government to send him back home at this point.”
The ICC has accused Duterte of crimes against humanity for allegedly creating, funding and arming death squads that carried out the killings of thousands of suspected drug users and dealers during his term as Davao City mayor and as president.
