Decision on Rody interim release appeal out Nov. 28

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will rule next week on the appeal filed by the camp of former president Rodrigo Duterte on his plea for interim release.

- JANVIC MATEO

A scheduling order released on Thursday night showed that the judgment on the appeal will be made in open court on Nov. 28 at 10:30 a.m. (5:30 p.m. in Manila).

The appeals judges will decide on the appeal filed by Duterte’s defense lawyers, who challenged the Sept. 26 decision issued by the ICC PreTrial Chamber I.

In an earlier message to reporters, Duterte's lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, described the decision as "erroneous."

He noted that the ruling rejected "unprecedented State guarantees for a debilitated and cognitively impaired 80-year-old, (who has been) kept from the public eye for more than six months."

In its 23-page decision, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I said Duterte should remain in detention to ensure that he would not obstruct or endanger the investigation and the proceedings.

It outlined why Duterte remains a flight risk and how he could pose a threat to potential witnesses.