Veronika 'Kitty' Duterte petitions SC for father's release from ICC custody

Veronica 'Kitty' Duterte maintains her petition to release her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, remains valid despite him being under International Criminal Court (ICC) custody.

In a 34-page comment filed on March 24 before the Supreme Court (SC), she argues that his current status in The Hague does not render the consolidated petitions moot and asserts that he is 'illegally detained' by an unauthorized warrant of arrest.

Duterte also contends that the ICC failed to timely exercise its jurisdiction after authorizing prosecutors to begin investigation in 2021, long after the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has recused itself from the case due to its firm stance against the court's jurisdiction, with the Department of Justice now representing the Philippine government in the petitions.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla declined to comment on Duterte's traverse, stating that the matter is pending before the Supreme Court and they will file an answer.