Reps question Senate bid to have ICC return Duterte

Three party-list lawmakers have expressed skepticism that a Senate resolution can compel the International Criminal Court (ICC) to return former President Rodrigo Duterte to the Philippines.

The doubt arises from a plan by three PDP-Laban senators to file a resolution urging Duterte's immediate repatriation from his detention in The Hague.

Party-list Representatives Leila De Lima and Antonio Tinio view the initiative as "mere political posturing" without legal efficacy.

De Lima explained that once the ICC, with its competent jurisdiction over alleged crimes against humanity, has legally arrested and detained an individual, domestic authorities cannot influence decisions regarding their return.

She further stated that while domestic bodies can acknowledge such resolutions, they cannot grant requests like repatriation, as the ICC operates under its own established laws and procedures.

Tinio believes the resolution is an attempt to reassure Duterte's supporters that his return might still be possible, but ultimately predicted it "won't fly" due to the ICC's independent legal framework.