Honasan’s ICC bid for Duterte’s return won’t be blocked – Palace

Former Senator Gregorio Honasan | FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines — The government will not block former Senator Gringo Honasan’s plan to submit a petition at the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking the return of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the country.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked whether the administration would obstruct any legal action by the Duterte camp to bring him back from The Hague, Netherlands.

“As for the government… we will not do anything because we no longer have any responsibility—we will not take any action regarding the ICC’s legal system or legal procedures,” Castro said.

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But she offered Honasan a piece of advice: coordinate first with Duterte’s legal team, as the ICC might not acknowledge him.

“Well, it is his right to do whatever he wants to defend former President Duterte, but it would probably be better for him to coordinate first with Duterte’s legal team, as the ICC might not even acknowledge him.,” she said.

Honasan laid out his and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s plan to submit a petition at the ICC through a statement on Tuesday.

“Many Filipinos, both here and abroad, are calling for the return of President Duterte to the Philippines. If there are charges to face, he should be tried in his own country. Many of us are eager to take action, to do what we can in the face of what we are dealing with,” Honasan said in his statement, posted on his Facebook account.

“At this point, we will submit a petition to the ICC to bring President Duterte back to his home country, the Philippines. This petition is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the ICC, allowing the people to participate directly in the ongoing proceedings,” the statement continued.

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Honasan said they aim to gather as many signatures as possible and invite other organizations to join their initiative.

The elder Duterte is currently in The Hague for his impending trial at the ICC for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war.

His administration’s drug war claimed at least 6,000 lives, according to official government data.

However, human rights watchdogs estimated the death toll from the drug war to be between 12,000 and 30,000 from 2016 to 2019.