Roque vows to bring Duterte back home

I have already said that we will not return home without [former] President Duterte, so let’s just say that our prayers are that he will be released at the soonest time possible and we will take all steps necessary to bring him home as soon as possible,

said Roque

If that is the desire of the senator, she is free to do that,

Castro said in English and Filipino in a press conference

It was a kidnapping. According to Article 59 of the Rome Statute, if an accused is to be surrendered to the ICC, he must first be presented to a 'competent judicial authority' — a local Filipino judge and court — to validate the warrant, confirm the identity of the accused, and ensure that his rights were upheld during the arrest,

Roque said

Francis Escuderosenate President

The Senate would not allow any of its members to be arrested inside its premises, especially if it is in session,

Escudero said in Filipino

Salvador Paneloformer presidential legal counsel

The arrest, detention, and even the abduction of Duterte, based on a warrant issued by a court that has no jurisdiction over the Philippines, is illegal and unconstitutional,

said Panelo who has condemned the ICC's actions, characterizing them as an attack on Philippine sovereignty

Francis Escuderosenate President

What I had told him (dela Rosa) was we will try to afford him every opportunity to avail of legal remedies that he is entitled to,

Escudero said

There shouldn't be any criticism if they had a meeting because it was about helping the Interpol. There is nothing wrong with that,

Castro said

The truth is simple: Article 59 applies only when the custodial state — the country where the suspect is arrested — is a state party to the Rome Statute. It does not apply when the suspect is in a nonmember state,

Contreras wrote in his column in The Manila Times

The Philippine government has no legal obligation to cooperate with the ICC,

the OSG stated in its motion, emphasizing that the country's justice system is fully functioning

Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines, is a national of a nonmember state, and he was arrested within the territory of the Philippines, a state that withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, thanks to Duterte himself,

he added

We have an independent, functioning judicial system capable of investigating and prosecuting cases, should there be any need. The ICC's warrant of arrest against former President Duterte is a clear overreach and disregards the sovereign rights of our nation,

he added

109. DUTERTE is the person most responsible for the crimes referenced in this Application. He was the mastermind of the formulation and dissemination of the Common Plan to target alleged criminals. He first conceived of the plan and oversaw its implementation in Davao City, and then nationwide,

the ICC warrant of arrest document noted

[T ... T]here are reasonable grounds to believe that this attack was both widespread and systematic: the attack took place over a period of several years, and thousands people appear to have been killed,

it added

The attack was widespread. It was carried out on a large scale and frequent basis, victimising a significant number of civilians over a broad geographic area and a prolonged period of time,

the ICC stated

As Mayor, and later as head of state, head of government, and ‘leader of the country’s police forces’, DUTERTE had authority over the perpetrators of relevant crimes. Indeed, as President, he was the only individual in the Philippines with ultimate authority over all State actors involved in implementing the Common Plan. He alone could approve or prevent the implementation of the Common Plan in its entirety,

it added

Imee Marcossenator

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I am calling for an urgent investigation into the arrest of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, an issue that has deeply divided the nation,

Imee Marcos said in a statement on Monday

It is imperative to establish whether due process was followed and to ensure that his legal rights were not just upheld but protected, ... Our sovereignty and legal processes must remain paramount."

she said, adding

I cannot accept what they did to [Duterte]."

Later on Friday, she said

This can only lead to trouble".

Hours after the arrest, Imee Marcos challenged the wisdom of the arrest of "poor president Duterte", warning at a news conference

Maggie Aderin-Pocockdr

My answer to that, based on the numbers, is no, we can’t be,

said Aderin-Pocock