Australia not hosting Rody during ICC trial

The Australian government has not agreed to host Rodrigo Duterte amid the petition of the camp of the former chief executive to the International Criminal Court to allow his interim release from detention in The Hague.

- HELEN FLORES and BELLA CARIASO

A source yesterday said Australia is not considering allowing Duterte to stay in the country after Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed that it is one of the countries being considered once her father's petition is granted.

In an interview in Melbourne last Sunday, the Vice President said her father's lawyers are looking at Australia for his release to a third-party country.

Yesterday she confirmed she saw an email from the Australian government regarding its rejection to be a host of the detained former president in case his interim release is approved by the ICC.

She also maintained that the former president's defense team did not reach out to Australia on the interim release.

"I saw an email by a certain Hasna of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. First, I'd like to clarify that the defense team of president Duterte never reached out to the Australian government to discuss about this interim release. There is no application of former president Duterte for interim release in Australia," Duterte said in an interview in Davao City.

Duterte said she does not know where and to whom the email of Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was addressed.

"I have to confirm that the two countries, none of which is Australia.

So, I do not know why (there was an email from Australia)," she added.

Critics are calling out the Vice President for seeking sympathy from overseas Filipino workers for her father, who is detained in The Hague for alleged crimes against humanity over his bloody drug war that claimed over 6,000 lives.

During a political rally calling for her father's release, Vice President Duterte admitted to sending an informal message to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.