Drug war victims to buck interim release for Rody

Victims of the previous administration's war against illegal drugs will oppose any move to temporarily release former president Rodrigo Duterte while the proceedings against him are ongoing before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

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In an interview Tuesday with The STAR's online show "Truth on the Line," ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti expressed belief that the international tribunal will not grant any request for the "interim release" of the former president.

"He's charged with the most, the gravest of crimes — crimes against humanity, one of the four main crimes of the court. The court has never allowed interim release for someone facing that kind of case," she said in a mix of English and Filipino. "And of course, the victims will oppose that.”

Conti said the previous instance wherein the ICC granted interim release for a suspect involved a lesser offense, referring to the case of lawyer Paul Gicheru of Kenya, who was charged for allegedly bribing and intimidating witnesses.

Gicheru, now deceased, voluntarily surrendered to the tribunal.

Joel Butuyan, an ICC-accredited lawyer who also represents the drug war victims, earlier said it would be difficult for Duterte’s camp to secure an interim release for the former president.

“Generally, an application for interim release is denied,” he said in an earlier interview with “Storycon” on One News.