VP Duterte: We didn’t talk to Australia for dad’s interim release

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday clarified that the defense team of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, did not reach out to Australia for his interim release. — Screengrab from Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday clarified that the defense team of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, did not reach out to Australia for his interim release.

This clarification was made amid reports that the Australian government allegedly declined to host Duterte should the International Criminal Court (ICC) grant the request.

READ: Rodrigo Duterte appeals for an interim release from ICC detention

“I’d like to clarify that the defense team of President Duterte never reached out to the Australian government to discuss about this interim release. There is no application from former President Duterte for interim release in Australia,” the vice president told reporters in a chance interview in Samal.

The appeal for interim release was made by Duterte’s counsel, Nicolas Kaufman, on June 12, noting that two governments, which were undisclosed and redacted in the document, had expressed their “advance and principled agreement” to receive Duterte.

Vice President Duterte also addressed this, saying that Australia is not one of those two countries.

“Albeit redacted, I have to confirm that the two countries, neither of which is Australia,” she said.

An interim release, also known as a provisional release, is a temporary discharge of an accused who the court has detained.

To date, records show that the ICC has interim release agreements with the Kingdom of Belgium and the Argentine Republic.

READ: Sara Duterte: Why put interim release provision if it won’t be used?

The elder Duterte is currently being held in custody at the ICC detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands, pending his trial for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war.

He was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 11 and was flown out of the country on the same day.

The former president had his pre-trial hearing on March 14, while his confirmation of charges was scheduled for September 23./coa