Duterte's camp asks ICC for interim release

Former President Rodrigo Duterte's legal team has again asked the International Criminal Court's pre-trial chamber for his interim release to an undisclosed country, reiterating their request after earlier seeking a postponement.

The defense team cited undisclosed information, alluding to a "final report," that would allegedly show Duterte is not capable of hiding from the law, obstructing the investigation by intimidating witnesses, and committing the same alleged crimes.

Under ICC rules, a suspect cannot be temporarily released if these three risk factors are present.

Duterte's lawyers proposed that his presence at the confirmation of charges hearing could be waived or facilitated through videoconferencing.

They also suggested that monitoring conditions and contact restrictions could be managed through unspecified means, with an undisclosed country willing to cooperate and enforce conditions.

The defense argued that the Prosecution's assertion of a need for an ad hoc cooperation agreement for interim release is unfounded, and their objections to the undisclosed country serving as a receiving country are negligible or negotiable.

The defense stated that Duterte's continued detention during a potentially protracted process of resolving issues related to his release would not be fair or reasonable.