Kitty Duterte asks SC to speed up oral arguments on ex-president's ICC custody

Veronica "Kitty" Duterte has urged the Supreme Court to schedule oral arguments regarding the habeas corpus petitions for her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands.

The consolidated petitions, filed by Kitty, her brother Sebastian "Baste" Duterte, and half-brother Paolo "Pulong" Duterte, question the legality of the former President's arrest under an ICC warrant and his transfer to The Hague.

Kitty, through her lawyer Salvador Panelo, argued that oral arguments would provide a transparent platform for the Supreme Court to address significant legal and constitutional issues, stating that the outcome could influence public trust in the Judiciary and the accountability of high-ranking officials.

The Dutertes contend that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the Philippines and that their father could not have been arrested based on an ICC warrant.

A key issue is whether the Philippine government can circumvent the Supreme Court's power to issue a writ of habeas corpus by transferring an individual to another country.

In her motion, Kitty stated that holding oral arguments would allow the SC to question the parties regarding the pending petitions and to look into the balance between the executive branch's discretion on matters of foreign affairs and the judiciary's role in safeguarding constitutional rights.

She argued that oral arguments would provide clarity on uncharted legal waters, including the significance of the respondents' hasty actions designed to avoid judicial review.